News

2023: Andoni PDP Reaches Consensus On Elective Positions

Published

1 month ago

April 13, 2022

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has concluded the zoning arrangement of some elective political positions by consensus ahead of the 2023 election in the state.
The consensus arrangement was reached in the party’s stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, recently.
At the meeting,the stakeholders asked the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani not to continue as representative of Andoni Constituency in the state Assembly after 2023 election.
The stakeholders also resolvedthat the lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency, Hon. Awajionobeek Abiante should contest for the House of Representatives position come 2023.
They further agreed that the Organising Secretary of PDP in Rivers State, Mr Kagban Ofik of Ikuru Ward 5 in Andoni should contest for House of Assembly position to replace Ibani.
The stakeholders in the party meeting includes, Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and leader of the party in the area, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani; the Andoni Council Chairman, Barrister Erastus Awortu; Head of Service, Barrister Rufus Godwins, state PDP Organising Secretary, Kagban Ofik, PDP Chairman in Andoni, Ere Victor, councillors, all political appointees, party chieftains, among others.
Though the zoning arrangement appears not to be going down well with some persons, who feel that Abiante should not return to the House of Representative after serving two tenures in the National Assembly, but majority of the stakeholders argued that he was the right person to win election in the area at this time.
Supporting the argument, Chairman of PDP in the area, Ere Victor said Abiante has done reasonably well in the area of representation of Andoni and Opobo-Nkoro people and provision of constituency projects and programmes in area.
He said the lawmaker has provided giant generators with street lights installed in almost all the communities, including Asarama, Egendem, Unyeada, Ngo, among others.
According to him, Abiante has also provided school desks and tables across secondary schools in Andoni and Opobo-Nkoro communities in the constituency.
The party chairman said the decision to allow Abiante go back to Abuja was to complete what he has started at the National Assembly, especially some of the bills yet to be concluded.
Though, the Speaker,Rt Hon Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani has not commented on the zoning arrangement, some of his supporters, said the nomination of Kagban Ofik as PDP consensus candidate to replace Ibani was a welcome development.
One Mr Samuel from Ward 11 in Andoni said Ibani needs to go for higher position like National Assembly, considering the wealth of experience gathered so far as speaker for eight years, chief whip for four years and member foranother four years.
According to him, Ibani was pleased with the zoning arrangement in the area.
Responding to the outcome of the meeting, the Chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Barrister Erastus Awortu expressed optimism that PDP would maintain all its positions come 2023 election.
He said the party under Governor Nyesom Wike has done magnificent projects in Andoni, adding that the projects and programmes still stand tall to speak for all the incoming candidates of PDP in 2023.
Awortu also said that his administration has added colour to the development strides of Governor Nyesom Wike by providing remarkable projects such asdurable roads, potable water supply, empowerment, tourism and many more still in the pipeline.
He said PDP in Andoni does not have any opposition in the area, adding that the people representing the party in various positions of thrust were always carrying every citizen of the area along, irrespective of party lines.

By: Enoch Epelle

News

LG Boss Lauds Mrs. Wike On Women’s Mentorship

Published

8 hours ago

May 25, 2022

The Tide

The Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State, Hon. Anengi Barasua has said that the mentorship roled played by Mrs. Suzzuest Nyesom Wike has enriched women in the State in all ramifications.

She said Justice Nyesom Wike’s display of humility and support for women was worthy for emulation.

Barasua, said this while fielding questions from journalists, at the weekend, in her office in Bonny, saying support given to the governor was enormous.

” Justice Suzzuest Wike, is a virtuous mother and role model to women, particularly in Rivers State. The women are proud of her. Her humility and inspiration she has given to women is commendable” Barasua said.

The local government chairperson urged women in authority to always emulate Mrs Wike, as she support her husband to succeed in his administration.

” I want to say an old time adage that says behind every successful man there is a woman. We have seen a real mother that has so much interest in women empowerment and deveploment.

I urge every woman in her position to emulate her and be submissive to your husbands. I also use this opportunity to felicitate with her on her birthday and wish her God protection and good health” she stated.

In another deveploment, Bonny Chairman has also congratulated all women elected in the just concluded PDP delegate and primary elections describing it as most peaceful.

She reiterated her commitment to the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike for given women more opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

News

Nigeria’s GDP Grew By 3.11% In Q1 2022, NBS Affirms

Published

13 hours ago

May 25, 2022

The Tide

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.11per cent in the first quarter of 2022.
The NBS made this known via its Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report Q1 2022 released, last Monday.
According to the report, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.11per cent year-on-year in real terms in the first quarter of 2022.
The NBS noted that the development showed a sustained positive growth for six consecutive quarters since the recession witnessed in 2020 when negative growth rates were recorded in quarter two and three of 2020.
It added that the first quarter 2022 growth rate further represents an improvement in economic performance.
The NBS stated: “The observed trend since Q4 of 2020 is an indication of a gradual economic stability.
“The Q1 of 2022 growth rate was higher than the 0.51per cent growth rate recorded in Q1 of 2021 by 2.60per cent points and lower than 3.98per cent recorded in Q4 of 2021 by 0.88per cent points.
“Nevertheless, quarter-on-quarter, real GDP grew at -14.66per cent in Q1 of 2022, compared to Q4 of 2021, reflecting a lower economic activity than the preceding quarter.
“In the period under review, aggregate GDP stood at about N45.317million in nominal terms.
“This performance is higher when compared to the first quarter of 2021 which recorded aggregate GDP of about N40.014million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 13.25per cent.
“The nominal GDP growth rate in Q1 2022 was higher relative to the 12.25per cent growth recorded in Q1 2021, and higher compared to the 13.11per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter,” the report read.

News

RSG Launches RIV-CARES Programme …World Bank Rates Rivers High

Published

13 hours ago

May 25, 2022

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has launched the state COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (RIV-CARES) Programme.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike performed the launching at the NBA Secretariat in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Speaking through his Deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, the governor said the programme was to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the poor and vulnerable households and support micro and small-scale enterprises as a means of stimulating economic growth post-COVID.
According to the State Chief Executive, “the state government had signed in for the programme, made provisions in the 2022 Budget for Result Areas and signed Funds Release Policy, which is an assurance to the World Bank that funds shall be released for the implementation of the programme”.
Wike said the launching of the RIV-CARES Programme would create awareness for the people of the state and engender expression of interest by beneficiary households, communities and operators of micro and small businesses (SMEs).
The governor, who encouraged the Rivers people to take advantage of the opportunities provided by RIV-CARES to enhance their means of livelihood and reduce the spate of poverty in the communities, commended the World Bank and the Federal CARES for their support to the state.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Titilola Kuna Cline, said in a bid to check the negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods, food security and micro and small businesses, the World Bank in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the state governments, introduced the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme.
She said the state scaled through rigorous preparatory stages and qualified to participate in the programme whose objective was “to expand access to livelihood support and food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms”.
According to her, the stages include, signing of subsidiary loan agreement and fund release policy by the government.
Others include the establishment of the RIV-CARES Steering Committee, establishment of State- CARES Coordination Unit domiciled in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and preparation of work plan.
“The NG-CARES, after domestication of programme implementation manual now known as RIV-CARES programme has the State Coordination Unit (SCU) saddled with coordinating implementation of RIV-CARES programme in the state and reporting to Federal-CARES supporting unit and the World Bank in Abuja.
“It is also a bridge between the delivery platforms and the State-CARES Steering Committee and for delivery platform under three Results Areas (RA1-3).
Cline listed the three areas to include cash transfer unit, labour intensive public works and community-driven development social (CDD-S) Plus.
The rest are, FADAMA and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Also speaking, the representative of the World Bank, Mr. Aso Vakporaye, said the programme must succeed in order to kick out poverty from the state in view of the fact that failure to kick out poverty would make life difficult for the entire citizenry.
He, therefore, thanked the governor for making it possible for Rivers State to participate in the programme.
Similarly, the World Bank and the Federal Government have rated Rivers State high in the implementation of the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus scheme by the state government.
Representative of the World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr.Aso Vakporaye said this, yesterday, in Port Harcourt at the official flag offand implementation of the Rivers State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (RIV-CARES) Programme in the state.
Vakporaye, who is also the chairman of the Federal Government’sFederal-CARES Technician Committee,confirmed that Rivers State has met the requirements for the implementation of the programme.
He said alot still remains to be done,adding that the state needs to release more money for the implementation of the programme.
Also speaking, theTechnical Head of State CARESCoordinating Unitand Secretary,RIV-CARESSteering Committee,Mrs Imaonyeni Ephraim, said the programme would improve the livelihood of the poor and vulnerable people in the state.
She said the programme, which runs for two years,was open to many beneficiaries.
The flag off was performed by the state Deputy Governor,Dr.Ipalibo Harry Banigo, onbehalf of Governor Nyesom Wike.