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GDI Endorses Wike For 2023 Presidency
Ahead of 2023 Presidential election, a renowned social crusader in Niger Delta, Grassroot Development Initiative (GD) has endorsed Governor Nyesom Wike to contest for the Presidency.
The group said the endorsement of Wike for the 2023 presidential race would rescue Nigeria from poverty, banditry, political recklessness and insecurity ravaging the nation.
The endorsement of Governor Nyesom Wke to the office of the president was made by officials of GDI led by Leader, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Martin Amaewhule, during GDI Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality Sensitisation Programme organised by the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality members of GDI in honour of Wike at Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, last Saturday.
Amaewhule said Nigeria needs a workaholic and God fearing person like Wike to rescue the country from economic woes and poverty.
He noted that Wike as the grand patron of GDI deserves a vote of confidence, because, he had been tested as a leader who managed the scarce resources of Rivers State for years, delivering the dividends of democracy to the people .
He noted that Wike has brought development and political awareness to Rivers State and beyond.
“When somebody is doing well, you need to praise him, we are confidence of him, we are proud of him, we are passing vote of confidence on him and urging him to contest for the post of the president in 2023, GDI as a group are confidence on Nyesom Wike to lead the country to greater height”, Amaewhule said.
Leaders of the GDI across the four Ikwerre LGAs also took turns to call on Wike to consider the wish of the ordinary Nigerians who are yearning for a prosperous Nigeria and take up the responsibility to salvage the country from the incompetent APC-led Federal Government come 2023 general election.
The Secretary General of Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI) Worldwide, Engr. Samuel Nwanosike told Nigerians that the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike was the best presidential candidate for the country in the 2023 general election.
Nwanosike, who is also the chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, SAID, “Nyesom Wike has shown that it is possible to manage a people where boundary neighbours don’t hear each other. Rivers State is a mini Nigeria; is only a state where people live together yet they have different cultures and diversities.
“We are saying as a people, if Nyesom Wike has rebuilt Rivers State, when people predicted when they were about to leave office that they want to come and see how he will do the magic of paying workers’ salary, not to talk about doing projects. But Nyesom Wike has not only done projects that we can see, he has done projects that we can touch and projects that have changed our narratives as people of Rivers State.
“And so, as a people, we are here to announce to the world that we have a candidate that we are proud to sell to anybody. And his name is Chief Nyesom Wike. People call him different things in Nigeria of today. Some say he is the face of new democracy in Nigeria. Some say he is the Mr. VAT. Some say he is the Mr. Quality Projects. But I call him the deliverer, the capacity leader and the man that can transform Nigeria”.
Nwanosike recalled that when Rivers State was looking for who to rebuild the state in 2015, GDI identified Wike as such man and went round the state to preach about him to the people, saying that the result yielded a lot of good things for the state.
He said, “So many years ago, we came to the 23 local governments in Rivers State, and we came with a gospel from the Grassroot Development Initiative, and we told the people of Rivers State that we have identified a man that can rebuild the dead Rivers State, as it was then under the leadership of one man that lives in Abuja.
“The people of Rivers State listened to our message, believed in our message, and gave the opportunity for our son and the pride of the Rivers people, Chief Nyesom Wike.
“You can see the results for yourselves. In all the 319 wards in Rivers State, in all sectors, in all spheres of our lives, Governor Nyesom Wike has broken all available political records in managing of our resources as a people. And so, we are proud to say that we as Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality people, under the umbrella of Grassroot Development Initiative, that Nyesom Wike is a man that we are proud of. And as Ikwerre people, we thank God Almighty for giving us such a leader that can be able to manage the resources of Rivers people, manage our diversity and manage our developmental activities as a people”.
The GDI national scribe assured Nigerians that they would never regret voting Wike as president come 2023.
Speaking on behalf of the Rivers State Executive Council members, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Barrister Olisaelloka Tasie-Amadi; and Sir Obiandu Owhochukwu, speaking on behalf of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders, called on the Rivers State governor to present himself for the position of Nigeria’s president in 2023.
In his remarks, Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Barrister George Ariolu described Governor Nyesom Wike, as a revered leader who has the capacity and capability to move Nigeria forward.
Ariolu described Wike as an ambassador and a gift from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area to the good people of Rivers State and Nigeria.
He said as a believer of good governance, the yardstick to access a man who’s competent enough, is based on what he has done in the position he has occupied before and he’s still occupying, and Wike qualifies for that.
“Wike has transformed Rivers State. And there’s no doubt in my mind, I also know that there’s no doubt in our minds that Wike will replicate same at the national level. Nyesom Wike is a very young man that has the energy; he has the capacity and has capability to transform Nigeria.
“He has displayed his prowess and competence as a local government chairman; he did that as a minister of state, education. The records are there to show. Dear Nigerians, if you want to restructure Nigeria, if you want this country to move forward, look for a competent hand like Nyesom Wike. He is qualified for the Job”.
Speaking further, Ariolu seized the opportunity to thank GDI for standing firmly with Wike.
He said that’s what makes them formidable and unique.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Dr Chidi Lloyd declared that the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has the wherewithal to salvage Nigeria from the mess the country presently finds itself under the watch of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
Lloyd stated that the exemplary leadership displayed by the governor within his six years in office was a clear indication that he can change the narrative in Nigeria if given the opportunity to oversee the affairs of the country in 2023.
He said the people of Ikwerre ethnic nationality and Rivers State at large never had it so good in terms of effective leadership, stressing that Nigeria needs a leader like Wike to set the country on the path of economic growth and prosperity.
He lauded GDI for its roles on the state and beyond, just as he urged all GDI members to register for the ongoing voters registration exercise as to enable them exercise their franchise during the 2023 elections.
The Ikwerre cluster of the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI) comprising of the four local government areas of Emohua, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City, during the sensitisation meeting, compelled the governor to take up the responsibility to rescue Nigeria from the maladministration of the APC-led Federal Government.
In a motion moved by the Leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Martins Amaewhule, seconded by the member representing Ikwerre Constituency in the state Assembly, Hon Anslem Oguguo, and moderated by the Chairman of Emohua LGA and former leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr Chidi Lloyd, national, LGA and ward executives of GDI across the four Ikwerre-speaking LGAs through a voice vote, passed a vote of confidence on Nyesom Wike, and called on the governor to lead the mission to rescue Nigeria in the 2023 general election.
The sensitization meeting had in attendance, lawmakers, members of the State Executive Council, present and past LG council chairmen and top government functionaries who are members of GDI across the four Ikwerre-speaking LGAs of Rivers State.
The Vice Chairman of Emohua LGA, Mrs Edna Nyeche, Secretary of the council, Chief Vincent Chukwu, GDI Coordinator in Emohua LGA and State Youth Leader of PDP, Hon Ikpechi Oriji, former CTC chairman of Emohua LGA and Secretary of GDI in the LGA, Hon John Wokoma, Prof. Okey Onuchuku, among others were part of the delegation from Emohua LGA at the sensitisation meeting.
By: Chinedu Nwosu
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.