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2023: Kwankwaso, Orubebe Consult Wike …As PH Turns Mecca For Politicians
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, last Friday, held consultative meeting with Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in his Rumuepirikom private country home.
The latest meeting is coming barely 24hours after Wike met with the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe.
This is as Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has in the past three weeks, been turned into a Mecca for politicians, who are apparently seeking spotlight and momentum in their bid to make a statement in the 2023 elections.
Kwankwaso, who arrived by 7:30pm was received at the Port Harcourt Airport, Omagwa by a crowd of some state chairmen and leaders of the NNPP in the zone.
The Kano political gladiator and his team, shortly after, departed the airport and arrived the residence of Governor Wike by 8:40pm.
In attendance at the meeting with Kwankwaso was a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and some NNPP leaders and lawmakers.
Although the details of the meeting had yet to be ascertained, it may not be unconnected to the 2023 general election.
The meeting with Orubebe also held behind closed doors in Rumuepirikom,in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Orubebe’s visit to the governor comes barely three days after the former minister dumped PDP.
Orubebe had in a letter dated June 20 and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Senator lyorchia Ayu, stated that he decided to dump the PDP after realising that the present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election.
Hours after dumping PDP, the former minister congratulated APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and hailed APC governors on the party’s zoning of the presidential ticket to the South.
Wike also received some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators led by the Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda, at his private residence in the state capital on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Wike met with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, behind closed doors in the Rivers State governor’s private residence.
Other politicians who have visited Wike recently include Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed and Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi.
While Mohammed stormed the state on Wednesday, Umahi was at Rumuepirikom, penultimate Saturday.
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, is from the North-West, Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, however, hails from the South-East.
Umahi, who was a presidential aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hails from the South-East; just as Mohammed, who contested the presidential primaries of the PDP for the 2023 election, is from the North-East.
Kwankwaso was met by Wike in the company of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose; former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke;Chairman, Rivers Elders’ Forum, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba; Senator Olaka Nwogu, and other PDP leaders.
All men later left their delegations to have hours’ long private discussion with the governor.
Also on Thursday, Wike received some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators at his private residence in Rumuepirrikom.
The senators were led by the Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda.
Senators in attendance at the meeting were the Senate Minority Whip, Chukwuka Utazi; Shuaibu Lau, Danjuma La’ah, and Barry Mpigi.
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.