Politics
Stay In Your Areas, Gov Wike Tells Council Chairmen
The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike has again directed chairmen of the twenty- three Local Government Areas to reside in their various areas and not to operate from Port Harcourt, the state capital or any other area outside their local government.
By so doing, the governor said the council bosses would be abreast of the situation of things, especially security, in their various areas.
The Rivers State Chief Executive gave the order last Thursday, during the swearing, in ceremony of the local government council chairmen in Government House, Port Harcourt.
He expressed regret that most council bosses in the state abandoned their various LGAs only to live and operate from hotels in Port Harcourt.
“ Stay in your council areas. Don’t stay in hotels and in Port Harcourt. If you’re not at home, how do you know about the security situation in your local government ? Security is key “, he said.
Governor Wike who charged the council chairmen to pay proper attention to issues of security in order to stem security breaches in their various councils , stressed the need for them to establish robust working relationship with both the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and traditional rulers in their domain.
The Governor also warned them against embarking on needless travels outsiders the state and the country without officially notifying the state government.
Another major issue , last week in Brick House, was the anti-open grazing position of the Southern Governors. Wike disclosed the intention of his administration to forward to the Rivers State House of Assembly, an anti-open grazing bill, aimed at protecting farmlands and farmers.
“ So that everybody must understand it , it’s clear without any hesitation, we must do it to protect our farms, to protect our women, to protect our youths, so that nobody will go and kill them”, he said last Wednesday, at the inauguration of the Isaiah Odoli/ Omerelu streets in New GRA , Port Harcourt.
Last week witnessed the inauguration of more projects executed by the Governor Wike administration. They include: the 21km Odufor- Akpoku- Umuoye Road in Etche Local Government Area, nine reconstructed streets— Nzimiro, Herbert Macaulay , Amassoma , Arochukwu , Atako, Ogoja , Akure , Yola and Chinwo in Old GRA, Port Harcourt, and the Community Secondary School Eteo, in Eleme Local Government Area as well as the Community Secondary School Obeakpu, Ndoki in Oyigbo Local Government Area.
The Rivers State Governor called on the Federal Government to expedite action towards the completion of the abandoned East-West Road considering its economic importance to the nation.
He described as unacceptable, the Federal Government’s continued neglect of the road, particularly the Eleme axis where the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone, Port Harcourt Refinery and Onne Seaport are situated.
“ They are taking us for granted because we have nobody. God in his infinite mercy will give us somebody. The kind of treatment we are receiving from this Federal Government is unacceptable”, said Governor Wike during the inauguration of the Community Secondary School Eteo, in Eleme Local Government Area, last Friday.
Stressing that the project inauguration and flagging off was not limited to the road , Governor Wike explained that it also focused on other sectors as health, education etc. The construction of the Community Secondary School Eteo in Eleme and the Secondary School Obeakpu, Ndoki in Oyigbo were aimed at increasing access to quality education for the people.
The Governor appealed to the teachers and students of the schools to utilise the facilities provided by the state government and make sure that the schools are protected.
Inaugurating the Community Secondary School Obeakpu, the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu hailed the achievements of the Rivers State Governor .
“ Governor Wike remains a role model, worthy to be emulated. I advise other governors to come to Port Harcourt to see what Gov ernor Wike is doing”, Mantu said.
The plot by the Federal Government to regulate or outrightly ban social media attracted the attention of the Rivers State Governor, last week, as he described the plot as hypocritical.
He argued that the APC led Federal Government wants to use it’s disagreement with Twitter as a false premise to suppress criticism of the administration’s appalling handling of the nation’s affairs through the dubious regulation of social media, even when it used the same social media to tell lies against the past government under Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
Gov Wike attended the PDP Governors’ Forum meeting held last Monday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. He also attended a Special Thanksgiving Mass in honoure of the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, last Saturday.
By: Chris Oluoh
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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