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Adequately Fund Security Agencies, Wike Tasks FG Tells Legionnaires To Use Realised Funds Prudently
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stressed the need for the Federal Government not to abandon its responsibility of catering to the welfare of men and officers of the security agencies to the states.
Speaking at the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) Emblem Appeal Fund Launching ceremony, last Wednesday at Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said the state governments are only providing necessary support.
He assured that his administration would not relent in its support to men and officers of the Nigerian military who have fought tirelessly in keeping the country united at great cost of their life.
Wike noted that though January 15th every year was the Remembrance Day in particular, the Emblem Appeal Fund Launch was organised earlier to raise money to support the Nigerian Legionnaires.
“What we are merely doing is to support. What is the federal government doing for you? So, everything should not be left in the hands of the state.”
Wike, in reaction to the request for the provision of secretariat for the Nigerian Legion, wondered what the leadership of the legion does with the monetary support that they receive each year.
According to him, it remains puzzling that the legionnaires in the state are unable to provide some basic operational facility like a secretariat for themselves.
The governor said the Rivers State Government alone, within the last six year of his tenure has donated not less than N150million to them annually, and if the resources were well managed, would have provided them a secretariat without going hand-in-cap to government.
“If you check for the six years, I’ve launched this emblem with not less than N20million in every year. And check each January 15th, I have given you not less than N150million. So, when you calculate, you can have your own secretariat.”
The governor urged the Federal Government not to abdicate its responsibility to fend for security agencies to the states.
“The military is under the Federal Government, the police are under the Federal Government. So, don’t shift responsibility of the Federal Government to states. What we are merely doing is to support.”
In his welcome speech, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo said every year, this event is organised to honour, appreciate and support war veterans and their dependents for their various levels of sacrifice that they made as a duty to the nation.
He noted that as officers and men of the military, they gave their best to ensure that the civil populace continue to enjoy security and peace.
Danagogo stated that while Wike and the Rivers State Government have continued to support the welfare of the legion, it was also important that well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies also lean their support.
“We may not know them all but certainly, we owe them all. That is why the governor of Rivers State has always supported them in every way possible.
“But whilst he is always supporting them and doing everything possible for them, it is not enough that only government or the governor is supporting them. It is a responsibility and duty for each and every one of us to appreciate them and to support them.”
Rivers State Chairman of Nigerian Legion, ACG Justice Chichi, said patriotic citizens are gathered to consider how to continue ameliorating the harsh and unfriendly challenges that confront legionnaires.
According to him, these war veterans; some have been living with hurts and others have died while fighting to keep the flag of freedom flying.
He urged Nigerians to spend the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in sober reflection of those sacrifices and renew commitment to the welfare of the veterans, widows and dependents of the fallen heroes in Rivers State.
“Your Excellency Sir, after an in-depth arithmetic of the immeasurable support which we are enjoying of your administration as the governor of Rivers State and our patron, I am led to, with humility and respect, that, I know of no one who has contributed more than you to the welfare of the legionnaires.
“The gift of giving for the welfare support of the needy has earned you the admiration of everyone.”
The Rivers State Government launched the emblem with the sum of N20million, the 23 council chairmen collectively launched it with N23million, while the state Legislature and Judiciary did same with N2million each, respectively.
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.
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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.