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I’ll Be Gov For Rivers People, Fubara Assures Stakeholders …GDI Drums Support For PDP Guber Candidate
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara has assured that when elected, he would be governor for all Rivers people rather than a sectional leader.
Addressing PDP stakeholders’ meeting held in his honour in Opobo, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, Fubara noted that his administration would erase the upland/riverine dichotomy and reinforce a united and prosperous Rivers State devoid of rancour.
He emphasised that his choice was divinely orchestrated, and further applauded the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for the unflinching support that led to his emergence as the flag bearer of the party, adding that the ticket was for Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
The gubernatorial candidate called on Rivers people to come out enmass when the campaigns start to support the Peoples Democratic Party and ensure that all the party’s candidates were elected at the 2023 general election as Rivers State was naturally a PDP state.
Earlier, a former lawmaker and immediate past Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, had enjoined all riverine and Ijaw communities in the state to work as one indivisible family and support the gubernatorial quest of Fubara as a true Ijaw son.
He noted that all Ijaw and riverine communities in the state were bound by same fate and circumstances, and therefore, should be united under Fubara’s candidacy to accomplish the goal of governing the state.
Gogo-Jaja stressed that it has been a long term dream of the riverine communities to produce a governor of the state, and commended Wike for bringing such dream to pass.
The stakeholders’ meeting saw the gathering of PDP stalwarts in the LGA, which had in attendance, the PDP State House of Assembly candidate, Hon Adolphus Orubienimigha; the LGA Party Chairman, Mr. Godwin Manfred Pepple;the Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Dr. Enyiada Cookey-Gam, amongst others.
Similarly, the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI), Opobo/Nkoro LGA Coordinator, Hon Solomon Ogolo, has assured that the GDI would support and mobilise Rivers youths, not just in Opobo/Nkoro, to vote massively for the Rivers State PDP governorship flag bearer, Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara.
Solomon described Fubara as a leader with integrity and prudent in resource management, adding that the candidate has developed a track record of success for the past two decades as a civil servant.
“He is a philanthropist that gives all with an open heart, rooting strongly that Rivers people will enjoy the continued progressive administration that will cut across the 23 LGAs”, he said.
While speaking with newsmen after a stakeholders’ meeting in honour of the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Opobo Town, Solomon assured of the readiness of the GDI in Opobo/Nkoro to champion his campaign in mobilising Rivers people to support and vote for Fubara during the general election in 2023.
Drawing reference from the words of Fubara, who assured that ‘when elected, he would be governor for all Rivers people rather than a sectional one and that his governorship will erase the upland/riverine dichotomy and reinforce a united and prosperous Rivers State devoid of rancour’, Solomon added that the electionwould be Rivers State, and not Opobo/Nkoro or Rivers South East affairs alone.
“A vote for Sim Fubara is a vote for a greater Rivers State”, Solomon said, and congratulated Fubara on his emergence as the PDP standard bearer for the governorship election.
Similarly, Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Mr Godwin Manfred Pepple, has said that members of the PDP, Rivers State ably led by the State Party Chairman, Amb. Desmond Akawor, were at the St. Paul Anglican Church, Port Harcourt to return all glories to God Almighty for the successful party primaries of the State Assembly, National Assembly, Senatorial, Governorship and Presidential primary election in Rivers State and Abuja.
Pepple said that members were also in church to thank God with melodious praises, prayers and thanksgiving offerings in fulfilment of vows, promises and prayers asking God for a peaceful party primaries at all levels.
“Indeed, God showed us great mercies, love and grace as the primaries recorded no casualties and was peacefully conducted at the local government areas, Senatorial Districts, the state and at the Federal Capital Territory for the presidential primary. God granted us victories as only His will prevailed”, Pepple said.
He said that the thanksgiving service was timely and inline with our religious beliefs, as Christians in every situation we give God all the glory.
In his words, Pepple said, “We gathered here today to say Father thank you for the success of our party primaries, no casualties recorded throughout the period of the primary election. Those that went to Abuja for the presidential primaries with flight and by road all returned home without any sad news.
“Indeed, we can’t thank God enough.
While speaking with the press immediately after the thanksgiving service, Pepple assured that “The PDP is a peace loving party that considers God first in all her activities”.
He recited the party’s anthem, ‘Stand up, Stand up for Jesus’ as a statement of total loyalty, surrendering all to Jesus for Him to lead us to victory in all situation.
“2023 general election are around the corner, with God by our side and our human efforts towards campaign, mobilization and voting, God shall give us total victory in the elections”, he said.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
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.