Politics

Gov Wike Signs Two Bills Into Law

Published

5 years ago

June 28, 2021

Activities commenced last week in Government House, Port Harcourt, with the signing of two crucial bills into laws by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
The bills were ; the Public Procurement (amendment) Law No.1 of 2021 and Contributory Health Protection Programme Law No.3 of 2020.
At the event which took place at Government House last Monday, Governor Wike said with the signing of the Contributory Health Protection Programme Bill into law, residents and people of the state desiring health insurance could now participate in the scheme.
He also noted that with the amended law on public procurement, government would easily fulfil its contractual obligations and check problem of payment of low per centage of project sums which often led to the demand for contract variation by contractors and the attendant delay of project execution.
Last week also witnessed more inauguration of completed projects as well as flag- off of new projects by the administration of Governor Wike , the Mr Quality Project of Nigeria.
Projects inaugurated last week included 16.2 kilometers Umueze-Umuogba-Umuokpurukpu-Umueke-Umunju-Eberi Road in Omuma Local Government Area, the Pabod Breweries By-Pass Road and Oginigba-Ordinance Link Road at Trans Amadi in Port Harcourt.
Those flagged off were the Trans- Kalabari Road Phase 1 in Degema Local Government Area, Reclamation of 52 hectares of land for the Abonnema and Obonoma towns in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, and the 11.6 Km Omerelu Internal Roads in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers State Chief Executive who stated that insecurity in the country has not hindered development in the state stressed that his administration has tackled insecurity headlong thereby creating an enabling environment for smooth delivery of quality department projects.
He announced that his administration would reconstruct the Umuakali-Eberi Road in Omuma Local Government Area in appreciation of the remarkable level of loyalty to PDP by the people of the area especially Hon. Kelechi Nwogu, the lawmaker representing Omuma State Constituency in Rivers State House of Assembly.
While inaugurating the road project in Omuma, former Senate President of Nigeria, Senator Adolphus Wabara, hailed the Rivers State Governor’s high performance and remarked that the Governor had redefined governance and broken the unfortunate jinx of non-performance associated with second tenure givernors in the country.
According to Senator Wabara, while it is in the habit of second tenure givernors to slow down actions, governor Wike remained unrelenting, working with the same zeal of a Governor in first term. This , he said, stands Wike out as a much sought- after leader who should be consulted in solving critical national issues related to governance.
Rivers State recorded another landmark victory last week as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Hon Justice Taiwo Taiwo ordered the Federal Government to pay her $1,114,556,610.00, and to also pay the sum of $2,258,411,586.00 to Akwa Ibom State.
This was in relation to production sharing contracts arising from Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract.
Justice Taiwo who delivered the judgement in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/174/2021 filed by the Attorney General of Rivers State and Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State against the Attorney General of the Federation, also awarded a post judgement interest of 10 per cent in favour of the plaintiffs.
Another major event in Brick House within the week under review was the approval by the State Executive Council to the offer made by Governor Wike to build, furnish and deliver new campus of Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt to the Council of Legal Education.
Recall that Governor Wike had during inauguration of some projects by of the Rivers State Government at Nigerian Law School, Yenegoa Campus recently, requested that a campus of the school be sited in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. He promised to build a brand new campus within six months, if his request was granted.
Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Zacchaeus Adango , who briefed newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting held last Saturday at Government House Port Harcourt, explained that one of the conditions demanded by the Council of Legal Education was that the offer made by Rivers State must receive the unambiguous approval of Rivers State Executive Council.
“ I am happy to announce that the Rivers State Executive Council met today and at the end of the Council’s meeting and upon due consideration of the memo presented by the Hon Attorney General, Rivers State Executive Council has formally approved the offer made by the Governor to build, furnish and deliver a brand new campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt to the Council of Legal Education”, Adango said.
He expressed optimism that the new campus will promote legal education and re-establish Rivers State on the map as the centre of legal education in the country.
Also last week, President, Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) , Hajia Hajara Alkali Baba, paid Gov Wike a courtesy visit to thank him, the Government and people of Rivers State for providing succour for the widows of deceased police officers.

By: Chris Oluoh

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”