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Wike, Rare Nigerian Politician, Ariolu Declares

Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Barrister George Ariolu, has expressed delight with Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his unmatched programme and policies that has transformed the local government.
Ariolu described Wike as a man with so much love for his people and mankind.
The Obio/Akpor Council chairman disclosed this in a welcome address to the Rivers State governor and his entourage at the official flag-off of Ikwerre Road, Rumuokwuta and Rumuola junction flyover.
He said while other governors are gathering bounties to sum up their tenures, Wike was still in the business of commissioning completed projects and flagging off new ones, classifying the governor as a rare Nigerian politician.
Speaking further, he explained that Obio/Akpor has the ace, number and figure to determine the next governor of Rivers State.
According to him, Wike remains a Garrison commander and field marshal of grassroots mobilisation in the state.
He assured the governor that as political foot soldiers, members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the local government were intact and waiting for his instructions ahead of 2023 polls.
Ariolu said that his administration would continue to garner support for the leadership of Rivers State Government under the supervision of Governor Nyesom Wike.
He explained that the transformation agenda of the governor has totally urbanised the local government and entire Rivers State, saying that Wike was the only captain capable of piloting the political ship of Rivers State.
He emphaised the enormous social-economic importance of the twelfth flyover to the state and nation at large, stressing that the flyover will ease the movementof people and vehicles from Rivers State to other South-South, South-West states and entire Nigeria.
According to him, the construction of the flyover will reduce traffic grid experienced along the area and curtail the number of man-hour to do business in the city.
He pointed that Wike through his infrastructural development is building the economic base of the state, noting that Rivers State is the economic hub of the entire South-South region.
In an interview with newsmen, Ariolu described the twelfth flyover as timely.
He hinted that it would ease means of doing business in the area.
In his speech, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, warned that anyone, irrespective of political party or affiliation, caught trying to promote insecurity in Rivers State would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The governor who gave the warning at Location Junction, cautioned owners of event centres and hotels against allowing their venues to be used to plan or execute actions that cause insecurity.
He said the government spent a lot of resources and effort to make Rivers State secure and peaceful, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to disrupt the state’s peace.
He urged people of the area to bear with the government during the project period as development of this nature is bound to come with some inconvenience.
Wike appealed to residents to be patient and trust in his administration to continue to better lives through its programmes and policies.
The governor further charged the contractors, Julius Berger to ensure that the project is delivered in record time, noting that excuses will not be accommodated from them.
Wike, who appreciated Julius Berger for the completion of seven flyovers, assured those whose properties were affected in the area that they will get their due compensation, adding that the state government has completed every process relating to the compensation of affected residents.
Performing the flag-off, former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, who flagged off the project, described Wike as a man who stands by his word.
He said Rivers State was enjoying peace as against what is happening in Abuja and other states.
He further stated that the illustration of Wike and Rivers State proves that with good and focused leadership, insecurity can be overcome in the country, pointing that Wike is a leader of truth, equity and fairness.
According to him, “This project when completed will add to the beauty and efficiency of the city. It will certainly help in the accessibility of the various roads in the state”.
Speaking further, he added that Wike has shown clearly that good governance can be achieved through leadership, stressing how he has demonstrated the power of good leadership by delivering worthy projects to the people of Rivers State.
Providing the project description, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dakorinama George-Kelly said the twelveth flyover is 927.5meters long, 80meters shorter than the eleventh flyover, he added that the flyover which will consist of two lanes will have a 17.6 meter width, one meter width median and one meter walkway.
The flyover he said, will change the socio-economic dynamix of the people living around the area and travel time will be reduced.
He added that the construction of the flyover will enhance ease of doing business in the area and it will add more beauty and colour to the state.
For his part, representative of Julius Berger PLC, Tobias Meletschus thanked Wike for the trust and confidence reposed on the contractor to handle such huge project for the state government.
The flag off of the Ikwerre Road, Rumuokwuta and Rumuola flyover bridge was done by former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke…on the invitation of Governor Nyesom Wike.
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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.