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2023: Wike Pledges End To Banditry In Katsina, Others … Slams APC Aspirants Wanting To Consolidate Buhari’s Legacy
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he has a clear plan to counter activities of marauding bandits in Katsina State and other parts of the country, if elected president of Nigeria.
The presidential aspirant has also promised that he would produce real and rapid improvements in the lives of Nigerians, particularly by aggressively resolving insecurity and creating a conductive environment for economic activities to thrive.
This is even as Wike wondered what good jobs President Muhammadu Buhari has done that presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were promising to consolidate.
Wike gave hint of his clear blueprint to tackle insecurity while addressing Katsina State PDP leaders and delegates at the party’s secretariat in Katsina, the state capital, last Saturday.
The Rivers State governor regretted that President Muhammadu Buhari, who hails from Katsina State has failed to stem the activities of marauding bandits responsible for the wanton destruction of lives and property in the state.
The governor assured the delegates that if elected as president in the 2023 presidential election, he would expeditiously resolve the nagging issue of insecurity and implement economic programmes that would enhance the quality of lives of Nigerians.
“You require somebody who will give you security in Katsina State. You require somebody who will bring projects to Katsina State. You require somebody who will appreciate the people of Katsina State.”
Wike reiterated that the PDP requires a presidential candidate who is courageous, firm and with capacity to defeat the failed All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the 2023 general election.
“APC will not give you power. We will take this power back from APC and give it back to PDP on behalf of Nigeria. I am that person who can withstand APC and win them. I am not going to run election to bear former presidential candidate. I came out because I know I would win the election.”
Wike urged the delegates not to vote for any aspirant on the basis of ethno-religious sentiment.
He asserted that they will be making informed choice by voting for him based on his the track records and commitment to the PDP.
The governor, who described himself as the most prepared aspirant, however, maintained that if someone else emerges as the PDP’s presidential candidate, he would support the person to defeat the APC.
“If I don’t get the ticket, I will still work for anybody who emerges as the candidate of the party, because what we are talking about is how PDP will take back power, how we can solve the problem of insecurity, how we can solve the problem of hunger.
“You cannot go to farm, again, your wives cannot go to farm. When they go to farm they will be kidnapped, they will be raped. Can we continue to live in fear? Can we continue to leave this country with these people that have failed us?”
In his remarks, former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, said that Wike has demonstrated in course of his nationwide campaign that he has the capacity to lead Nigeria and resolve the issues of insecurity, poverty, hunger, illiteracy and unemployment.
“Anybody, who is not willing to take up this challenge, and look at the populace and address what their true and genuine concerns are, will only be interested in power for himself.
“I am glad we share the same vision. We are thinking in the same direction and we hope Nigeria after 2023 will be a better, more prosperous, more focus and more and more leader of Africa and the black world.”
Katsina State PDP Chairman, Salius Yusuf Majigiri, said party faithful are excited to receive Wike and his campaign team and do identify with his aspiration to become the president of Nigeria.
Similarly, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has wondered what good jobs President Muhammadu Buhari has done that presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were promising to consolidate.
Wike, who is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, said Nigerians are under the yoke of APC maladministration with intractable insecurity situation that has crippled the economy and increased hunger.
Speaking in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, last Friday, when he met with Governor Douye Diri at the Government House, Wike said God and Nigerians would forbid such successor to emerge, because the country must be freed from the festering insecurity, hunger, poverty and dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria and its people.
“It is most unfortunate when I hear people declaring (intention to be president) under APC and saying they want to continue the good job of Mr President: The good job of people dying every day? Or the good job of Naira falling every day?
“I feel so ashamed that we have gotten to the level of sycophancy where people will come and say ‘I want to continue the good job of Buhari’. What is the good job of Buhari? Hunger, poverty, insecurity, economy falling?
“I can’t believe that somebody will come out in today’s Nigeria and say I want to continue where Mr Buhari has stopped. May God never allowed that evil to continue.”
Wike described himself as the most courageous leader who can lead Nigeria out of its presents woes and has, therefore, urged delegates of the PDP in Bayelsa State to support his presidential bid.
The Rivers State governor urged his Bayelsa State counterpart to support his presidential bid because he was contesting on behalf of the two sister states.
Wike said he understands the peculiar problems of the two states, the Niger Delta region and is in a position to sufficiently address them as president of Nigeria.
In his response, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, noted that PDP constitution provided for the rotation of the position of presidential candidate between the North and South.
He reiterated that it was expedient that it is enforced within the principle of fairness, justice and fair play.
Diri described his Rivers State counterpart as a homegrown politician who understands the contending issues both in the South-South region, and Nigeria as a whole.
“The challenges of the South-South, the challenges of the Niger Delta, the challenges of Rivers and Bayelsa, you have worn the shoe, and it is only those who wear the shoe that knows where it is pinching. And so, there is no other aspirant that understands our challenges and problems other than you.
“You could have as well said this is our state I don’t need to come and campaign in Bayelsa, I don’t even need to come and see the delegates in Bayelsa, my brother governor is there, he will do it for me. And if you had called me on phone, I would have said ‘don’t come, stay back in Port Harcourt, we will do it for you’.”
He noted the need for a courageous leader like Wike to reverse the top-bottom administrative modus operandi of APC that has plunged Nigeria into dire economic situation.
Diri assured his brother governor that the people of Bayelsa State would support him to actualise his presidential ambition.
Wike, who later met with PDP delegates at the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa, reminded them of how he stood firm and never betrayed former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Rivers State governor said he was handing himself over to Bayelsa people to consider him as their son, who is requiring their support so that he could clinch the PDP presidential ticket.
Wike described himself as complete PDP member who has never left the party, and remains the only courageous and fearless person who can confront APC in the 2023 presidential election, and win it.
The Rivers State governor expressed regret that the APC-led Federal Government has been unable to crush activities of bandits in parts of the country.
He, however, stated that bandits would naturally run away when they know that he has emerged as the next president of Nigeria.
Also speaking, the former Gombe State Governor, Dr Hassan Dakwambo, said Wike requires their support to actualise his presidential bid.
According to him, Wike was not only one of their own, but a trusted, tested leader who was psychologically prepared, and has the courage to provide the needed leadership that Nigeria yearns for.
In his remarks, PDP Chairman in Bayelsa State, Mr Solomon Agwana, said the country needs a visionary leader like Wike to put out of the brinks.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.