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Infrastructure: Wike Has Redefined Governance -Nsirim Urges Media’s Positive Projection Of Rivers
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim has said that the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has distinguished himself as a man with a mission to redefine governance.
He said with the execution of projects across the 23 local government areas, Wike has left visible signatures of his commitment to leave Rivers State better than he met it.
The commissioner made the assertion while speaking at a dinner organised by the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, in Port Harcourt, Friday night.
“Today, I say that Rivers State has entered a golden era in infrastructure, a golden era in healthcare delivery, a golden era education, a golden era in sports development, because we have a governor who is passionate to use the resources of Rivers State to develop Rivers State.
“I take pride in being his Commissioner for Information and Communications because as the saying goes, a good product does not need advertisement,” he said.
He extended the commendation of the governor to journalists in the state for the support given to his administration and thanked them for being partners in progress.
“But that does not mean that we have reached our destination.”
He said Wike believed strongly that the media partnership was one veritable way to make governance have the required relevance and meaning.
He reminded them that there were still more to do to enable the administration finish strong in 2023.
Nsirim, therefore, enjoined journalists in the state to be part of the collective team that would ensure that Rivers State remained stable and peaceful.
He said the Wike’s administration was open to criticism but that such should be constructive rather than armchair criticism.
He advised journalists not to allow themselves to be dump sites for information that do not have merit.
“Journalists in Rivers State must strategically begin to interrogate the kind of information we get from people and know the kind of information we pay attention to. Let us not be seen as a dump site, he said.
Speaking on the ministry’s #OurStateOurResponsibility advocacy campaign, Nsirim reminded the journalists of the need to tell the rest of the world that Rivers State was peaceful and open for business.
“I want to remind us again as media practitioners that the prosperity of Rivers State is our prosperity. If Rivers State is peaceful and stable, you will get more business patronage.
“But if you paint Rivers State to be what it is not, you will suffer, your dependants will suffer. So, we owe the collective responsibility to tell the whole world that Rivers State is open for business with the right infrastructure and the right leadership for people to come and do business,” he said.
Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Mr. Amaechi Okonkwo said this year’s week with the theme: “Survival of Journalists in Security and Economic Uncertainties in Nigeria: Focus on Strategic Reporting of the Maritime Sector”.
He said the event was meant to show first of all how journalists could preserve themselves before being able to perform their responsibilities to society.
He called on government to factor in media organisations as they consider bailouts to industries adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.