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One Year In Office: ‘We’ve Made Tremendous Progress On Governance’ …As PDP Scores Opobo/Nkoro LG Council Boss High
The Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Council of Rivers State, Hon Enyiada Cookey-Gam, has declared that the six-point development agenda of his administration have received tremendous attention with measured successes over the last one year of his administration.
The six-point agenda include security, infrastructure, economy, education, agriculture, healthcare of the people, among others.
Cookey-Gam, who stated this, last Saturday, at Opobo Town while commissioning numerous projects executed by the administration to mark his one-year in office, vowed to build bridges of transformation, especially at the satellite communities with the electrification of the area, provision of more empowerment and welfare programmes for the rural folks and the promotion of peace, security and progress of the people.
He called on the people to support his government to give the people better opportunities to prosper, stressing that government would continue to provide people-oriented projects, if the relative peace enjoyed by the people was sustained.
Also commissioned as part of the event, was a remodelled office to accommodate the DSS, NSCDC, NDLEA and Nigeria Immigration Service, among others.
According to him, “We were able to, apart from the office complex; complete a police station building at Nkoro Town, security post at Opobo New Layout, Opobo/Nkoro Council Staff Quarters, the procurement of office furniture for the LGA, the establishment of Opobo/Nkoro educational reading centre, and the sponsorship of capacity building for Opobo/Nkoro indigenes.
Cookey-Gam used the opportunity to appeal to faithful of PDP in the area to support his leadership.
Also speaking while performing the commissioning of the projects, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deacon Clapton Ogolo, commended the giant strides of the Chairman of Opobo/NkoroLGA, Hon Enyiada Copkey-Gam,describing his feat in the past one year as remarkable.
Ogolo stressed that the provision of office complex for the accommodation needs of government agencies in the area, among other projects, would go along way to alleviate the challenges they were facing while urging the agenciesto utilise and protect the facilities from theft and vandalisation.
The former commissioner further described the performance of the chairman as good omen for the electorate in the area, adding that,”We should support the administration of the chairman to enable him and his team perform creditably and deliver victory for the PDP in the 2023 general election”.
He admonished the electorate to ensure that they vote PDP candidates to victory, warning that any attempt to vote in another party would be disastrous for them.
In his remark, the PDP House of Assembly hopeful in 2023 for Opobo/Nkoro State Constituency, Hon Adolphus Orubienimigha, lauded the efforts of the chairman on projects delivery, describing him as doyen of quality governance.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Opobo/Nkoro chapter, Mr Godwin Manfred Pepple, said that Cookey-Gam has performed fantastically well, rating his delivery of projects and people-oriented programmes very high.
Pepple said, “As we gather here today for the commissioning of the DSS, Immigration, Civil Defense, Road Safety Corp Office Complex in Opobo Town which is one of the impactful projects of the Chairman of our LGA, Hon Enyiada Cookey-Gam, I’m so delighted to be present on this great day, not only the commissioning of this beautiful structure, but also a beautiful one year anniversary of this administration”.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party, Opobo/Nkoro LGA, is proud of the achievements of Cookey-Ga in the last one year in office.
He listed some of the projects to include enrolment of 20 Opobo/Nkoro indigent students on scholarship into Nigeria Teachers Institution (NTI), Opobo chapter; re-established of two GCE centres in Opobo and Nkoro Town; sponsorship of 100 Opobo/Nkoro indigent students for the Nov/Dec 2021 GCE examination; re-opening of marriage registry and sponsorship for training of personnel from the LGA; sponsorship of members of Opobo/Nkoro 7th Legislative Assembly for training, retreats and seminar; procurement of executive office desks, file cabinets and chairs for council staff; and renovation of the chairman’s official lodge.
Other projects are the total renovation and refurbishment of Opubo Hotel and Resorts in Opobo Town; reticulation of water supply in the LGA Council Secretariat; procurement of security gadgets for all security units and personnel for enhancement of security architecture in the area; refurbishing of security outboard boats for Marine Police patrol; planting of about 800 Royal Palm trees along the Opobo/Nkoro axis of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Unity Road, from Nkoro entrance to Opobo waterfront; completion of the abandoned Senior Civil Servants Staff Quarters; building and commissioning of Security Checkpoint at Opobo New Layout of the Opobo/Nkoro axis of the Unity Road within 12 days; Completion of the Nkoro Police Station, Nkoro Town; the ongoing building of the Multi-Purpose Hall/Museum in Opobo Town; and procurement of five Sienna buses and two mini buses, among other projects.
Pepple also passed a vote of confidence on the impactful performance of Cookey-Gam as he celebrates his one year anniversary as the council boss.
By: Bethel Toby
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.
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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.