Featured
Wike, Waziri Unveil Opobo/Nkoro Road
After 150 years of its existence, the ancient Opobo Kingdom, an island in Rivers State, can now be accessed by road, following the inauguration of a section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road by Governor Nyesom Wike.
The mood in the ancient and historic Kingdom of King Jaja of Opobo, last Saturday, was euphoric, as ecstatic crowd thronged the road and cheered the governor for connecting the island by road to the mainland of the state.
Wike, while addressing the electric crowd of Opobo, Nkoro, Ogoni, and Andoni indigenes at Opobo New Layout, said the completion of the road and its inauguration, was a dream come true for the people of the area and his administration.
Wike said he feels happy to have fulfilled his 2014 campaign promise to Opobo people.
He expressed appreciation to the administration of Dr. Peter Odili for conceiving the Unity Road project.
According to Wike, without the foresight of Odili, it would have been difficult for his administration to complete the Opobo axis of the Ogoni-Opobo-Andoni Unity Road.
The governor directed his special adviser on special projects to liaise with the King and leaders of Opobo on where they desire a new land to be sand-filled and reclaimed for them by the state government.
Wike also urged the surveyor general of the state to commence the process of land mapping and survey of the already sand-filled land in the area to enable Opobo people to begin allocation of spaces among themselves.
Speaking about the erosion menace in Queen’s Town, Wike reminded Opobo people of the N3. 1billion contract that was awarded when one of their sons was the commissioner for works to solve that problem.
The governor said, unfortunately, the company that was awarded the contract disappeared after it got N2billion mobilisation fee paid to it.
Wike said it was baffling that their son could frustrate such development project attracted to the area, which would have solved the erosion menace, and end the threat of Queen’s Town being washed away.
“Sometimes, you wrote to me about the erosion in Queen’s Town. I told the Amayanabo the other day that the job was awarded when your son was commissioner for works.
“It was awarded to the tune of N3.1bilion. The company collected N2billion, and it ran away from site. Amayanabo of Opobo, go and ask your son: who is that company that collected the money and refused to do the Queen’s Town shore protection?”
He said every Nigerian needs to come to terms with the reality that they were better off living together in a united Nigeria than otherwise.
The governor, who reflected on the rich diversity, resources and the reason why God has put every part of the country together in a geographic space called Nigeria, said Nigerians must learn to live in unity.
Performing the inauguration, the former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources as well as Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, expressed gratitude to Wike for solving critical needs of the Opobo people.
He observed how excited the people were to have a road to drive on to connect the island to the rest of the state, adding that Wike has brought humanity to governance.
The former minister stressed that it was pertinent for Nigeria to remain united so that the Opobo Road would continue to be in the country.
Waziri also declared that Wike was an uncommon governor who was providing Nigeria an indispensable ingredient of democracy that would promote nation-building.
“Yobe has remained in opposition since 1999. All attempts to silence us have failed. In Nigeria also, all attempts to silence opposition will fail under the banner of Governor Wike.
“There are certain dividends (respects) that ordinarily have come to Governor Wike because he has earned them. But Governor Wike is not a governor for Rivers alone. He is an uncommon governor in PDP.
“He is giving the Nigeria polity the indispensable ingredient of democracy. And that is, for democracy to thrive, to be useful, for it to flourish, democracy must promote nation-building.
In his remarks, the Amanyanabo of Opobo, King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja, said the people of his kingdom would remain eternally grateful to the governor for the humanity he has brought to governance.
He passionately appealed to the governor to initiate another land reclamation project in Opobo.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi said the road was entirely built through mangroves and swamps.
“It is 11.15km long, 7.3m wide with a 1.5m wide shoulder on either side. From the start point at Nkoro/Opobo junction to this point where we are now gathered, you will cross 18 culverts of varying dimensions, and 5 bridges of varying lengths, the shortest being 34m.
“Due to terrain peculiarities, we have an average fill height of 4m, the least fill height being 2m, a height that qualifies me as a short man, and some fill heights as much as 8m high, taller than a storey building. It has two layers of Asphalt, a binder course of 6cm and a wearing course of 4cm. All together 10cm.”
The works commissioner further said that “with the commissioning of the 11.15km-Opobo Road on the Opobo axis of the 43km Ogoni, Andoni, Opobo Unity Road, the Kingdom of Opobo has lost its island status”.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) to carry out their duties with discipline, loyalty and a firm commitment to the success of the administration and the wellbeing of the people of Rivers State.
The governor warned that any involvement in unauthorised nocturnal meetings or any conduct capable of embarrassing the government will attract immediate dismissal.
Fubara gave the warning yesterday shortly after the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma and the new Chief of Staff (CoS), Barrister Sunny Ewule, were sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.
As part of the ceremony, the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the duo before the governor gave his charge.
Addressing the appointees, Fubara reminded them that their elevation to the new positions was a call to service and not a platform for political grandstanding or the pursuit of personal ambition.
He stressed that their foremost responsibility should be to themselves and to the people of Rivers State, stressing that their conduct must always reflect integrity, restraint and dedication to public good.
Speaking directly to Dr. Wokoma, whom he described as an accomplished academic and mathematician, the governor expressed confidence in his intellectual depth and capacity to deliver on the new assignment.
The office of the Secretary to the State Government, Fubara stressed, demands thoroughness, discipline and a deep sense of responsibility. He charged the SSG to represent the State with honour at all times.
“Your duty includes representing the state government. You need to represent us in a way and manner that will bring honour to us.
“What is important to this administration is to see that the good works that we started and the ones that we met, are concluded in a way that will bring progress and development to our dear state,” he stated.
Turning to the new Chief of Staff, the governor explained that he is expected to ensure smooth administrative coordination, managing official engagements effectively and safeguarding the image of the Government House.
He underscored the sensitive and personal nature of the role and emphasised that the position operates strictly under the authority of the governor.
Fubara stressed that the role does not permit independent political engagements or private strategy meetings without his knowledge and consent.
“Let me sound it here very clearly. Your duty is to make sure that you handle the administrative duties and image making roles perfectly well, liaising with whoever is coming for any official assignment here.
“If you involve yourself in nocturnal meetings and all those things, I will sack you. I’m very serious. What is important to me today is peace, progress and prosperity of this state. I’m not going to compromise anything for it,” he said.
The governor cautioned that involvement of the new appointees in any action capable of bringing the government or his office to disrepute would attract appropriate sanctions.
While congratulating the new appointees, Fubara expressed optimism that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
He called on all public officials to work together in unity, observing that collective success is stronger and more enduring than individual achievement.
The governor who also addressed the Permanent Secretaries present at the ceremony, directed those of them who have reached retirement age to start preparing their handover notes without delay.
The notice, he said, was not intended to scare anybody but to prepare their minds towards the inevitability of exiting the service one day and to pave way for an orderly transition.
He warned against any attempt to engage in financial misconduct or last-minute irregularities, stressing that he was closely monitoring the system to ensure strict enforcement of accountability rules.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.