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Wike Doesn’t Tamper With Rivers LG Funds -Woke

The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Emeka Woke, has said that Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, does not tamper with local government funds.
Woke said that since the inception of Wike’s administration in 2015, local government chairmen in the state have enjoyed the liberty to utilise their funds for the development of their people.
The chief of staff made the assertion shortly after commissioning the Staff Canteen constructed in Emohua Local Government Secretariat by the council Chairman, Dr. Chidi Lloyd.
Woke declared that Wike has continued to consciously deepen democratic governance in Rivers State, through his non-interference with council funds.
“He has shown leadership. The governor is not a governor that is interested in the allocation or the money that is accruing to local government councils. I’m speaking here, and I want to be challenged. Let one council chairman, out of 23, say we went to JAAC (Joint Account Allocation Committee), and at the end of JAAC meeting, we were asked for money.”
He further added, “For the past seven years, we have not asked council chairmen to contribute for anything. And so, they have the liberty to use their funds, take the initiative with our guidance. Of course, we have the Ministry of Local Government that directs and guides them, and that is why we are celebrating democracy, today.”
Woke said he was elated by the developmental strides of Lloyd since he was elected as the chairman of Emohua council barely a year ago.
According to him, the reason why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in Emohua endorsed Lloyd to contest for the office of the chairman of the council, was because they believed he could made a difference.
“What we are seeing today is an eloquent testimony of a right choice, a good decision, and then, leadership.”
Woke urged the people of Emohua to continue to support Wike and the PDP.
He maintained that no administration since the creation of Rivers State in 1967 can boast of more projects’ execution in Emohua than Wike’s government.
“There have been governments in this state since 1967. I stand to be challenged, mention one administration that has favoured Emohua than the administration of Nyesom Wike in terms of empowerment, appointment and projects’ execution.”
In his remarks, the Chairman, Emohua Local Government Council, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, explained that the inception of his administration was turbulent because he had to grapple with issues of documentation and staff welfare.
He attributed his modest achievements in the past one year to prudent and judicious utilisation of resources which hitherto went into private pockets.
“In Emohua, we do not share money. What we do here is use money for the good of majority of people of this local government. Gone are those days when it was said that there is no money in the council.
“Chief of Staff, there has been different kinds of stories on whether the governor gives me money privately to do these projects that we are doing here, or whether I borrowed money from banks. I want to place of record that this local government is not indebted to any financial institution,” he said.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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