News
RSG Inaugurates Panel Of Inquiry On Fire Outbreaks
Rivers State Government has opened investigations into the causes of fire outbreaks in the state following the razing of the Bonny Jetty Port Harcourt, last Monday, the third incident in 72hours.
The state Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Onowu, who disclosed this to newsmen after inspection of the areas affected by fire in Port Harcourt, said Governor Nyesom Wike has directed that a panel of inquiry be inaugurated to probe the three fire incidents.
This is as the Federal Fire Service has fought 26 fire incidents (excluding Monday’s fire at Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty) in Port Harcourt and its environs from September to date with the loss of properties worth billions of naira.
It would be recalled that on Monday morning, there was fire outbreak at the newly commissioned Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty in Port Harcourt.
Sources alleged that the inferno started around 10:35am following a spark in one of the boats carrying drums of illegally refined fuel (Kpofire) around the jetty.
This happened barely 24hours after Zenith Bank building in Port Harcourt was razed on Sunday.
Earlier, fire had also razed parts of the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) in Isiokpo Street, D-Line, on Saturday and a building along the Rumuagholu/Rumuokoro axis, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
He warned that properties and land used by illegal bunkerers to store inflammable materials responsible for fire at D-Line and Rumuokoro may be confiscated if owners fail to appear.
Onowu blamed residents who conceal activities of bunkerers in their neighbourhood as accomplices, wondering why they should not report people who store petroleum products in their compounds.
He said investigations have commenced on the fire incidents, and warned residents to desist from storing petroleum and inflammable materials in their place of abode, as he reminded them that the dry season was near and can worsen the situation.
Speaking, the state Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr. Peter Meede, disclosed that investigations into the incidents would unravel the actual causes.
According to him, a full-scale investigation would not only reveal the causes of the fire, but would also provide a remedy to it.
He said, “There is the likelihood that it is petroleum products that are causing the fire. We cannot come to that conclusion now until there is a full-scale investigation. The report of the investigation will reveal the cause of fire as well as the remedy to it.
“If you watch, where the dealers of these products (black market fuel peddlers) keep them are places that are hidden. Like the fire incident that occurred in D-Line on Saturday night, that was a company premises; although the company is not in operation.
“Because the company is not in operation, it is absolutely difficult for somebody to know the kind of activity that is going on there. That is why we are calling on law-abiding citizens to be very vigilant in their neighbourhoods. See what they can do, watch what is happening in their neighbourhood and report to the government.
“The Rivers State Government has been able to set up two dedicated telephone lines for people to report unwholesome practices in the state. We have warned severally that when you see and you don’t report, when it happens, it is your own property that would be destroyed; it is your own life that will be lost.
“So, it is important for people to understand that it is patriotic for people to report these unwholesome activities. That is exactly the remedy to this situation”, he added.
Also speaking on the Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty fire, the Commander of the Federal Fire Service in Rivers State, DCF Abdullahi Audu Alfa said hoodlums had accused them of not responding in time to the fire incident, and added that for the safety of their lives and equipment, the fire-fighters had to turn back.
Alfa condemned the action of the members of the public, saying that efforts must be made to sensitise residents on how to respond to emergencies.
He also said that most times, they get the information about fire outbreaks late after individual efforts had failed.
Alfa said the problem of poor network of roads leading to the scenes of fire outbreaks and poor attitude of motorists who do not give the fire-fighters easy right of way at the time of emergency were also part of the causes of the delays in their arrival at the scene of incidents.
He added that the Federal Fire Service has fought 26 fire incidents (excluding today’s fire) in Port Harcourt and its environs from September to date with the loss of properties worth billions of naira.
Alfa added that his findings and experience show that most fire outbreaks in the state were caused by activities of illegal artisanal refiners and improper storage of petroleum products.
Reacting, the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Barrister George Ariolu said that the Rumuokoro fire incident was caused by illegal trading and improper storage of petroleum products.
Ariolu, who said this during his visit to the scene of the fire disaster, lamented that members of the Community Development Committee (CDC), chairman of youth group and other stakeholders may be aware of the illegal dangerous business without reporting to either the local government or the state government.
“Fire incident don’t just happen, they’re caused by human activities, whether legal or illegal.
“If you go back to the point it started, you will see that this is a clear incident of illegal oil bunkering, that is what is there and that is the cause of the fire, which is condemnable.
“These are unpatriotic citizens of this nation; that is what we have discovered here”.
Community Development Chairman of Belema Community at Nembe-Bille Waterfront where another fire incident was recorded on Monday in Old Port Harcourt Township, Gospel Nengiye urged for the building of a fire station at Nembe-Bille Waterfront.
He spoke to newsmen following the fire that gutted about seven boats as a result of a faulty outboard motor engine that went into flames at the jetty.
Nengiye said the fire sparked by the faulty outboard motor engine entered spread to other boats as it was difficult to contain the conflagration.
There are claims that a woman and her baby lost their lives, but many properties and market wares consisting of fish, and consumables were gutted by the fire on Monday.
Earlier, fire-fighters had escaped mob action as a huge explosion at the newly commissioned Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty built by Rivers State Government in the outskirts of Port Harcourt metropolis resulted into a heavy fire outbreak early Monday.
An eyewitness said that, at least, two persons with serious cases of burn injuries were rushed to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), for treatment as a result of the incident.
According to him, the environs of the Bonny-Bille-Nembe Jetty has been turned into a hotbed of illegal refining of petroleum products, popularly known as “Kponfire”, fuel causing massive pollution across Port Harcourt and its environs.
Another eyewitness claimed that the explosion occurred when a boat driver tried to kick-start his engine.
He said this resulted in a huge fire that quickly spread to other boats aided by petroleum products in the environment, alleging that four persons died as a result.
“However, fire-fighters from the Federal Fire Service narrowly escaped mob action after they arrived at the scene of the fire outbreak,” he added.
Meanwhile, hoodlums quickly took advantage of the fire incident to loot fish, crayfish and other food items from the jetty.
But it took the arrival of Naval personnel to restore normalcy to the tensed area.
All the fire outbreaks have been attributed to illegal refining or distribution of petroleum products, popularly called “Kponfire”.
By: Kevin Nengia &
Excellent Omehoma
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.