Connect with us

News

Akawor Seeks Media Support For Fubara …Receives More APC Decampees …Reveals Process For PDP Guber Candidate’s Selection

Published

on

The Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Desmond Akawor, has, again enlisted the support of the media to ensure the success of the governorship candidate of the party, Sir Siminialayi Fubara in the 2023 elections.
Akawor made the call, last Thursday, in Port Harcourt, when he received two groups of decampees of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who joined the PDP, recently, at the PDP Secretariat.
The decampees were at the secretariat to renounce their membership of the APC.
The first group was led by a former commissioner in the state and former governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Chief David Briggs.
Briggs led the group of decampees from the APC to the PDP Secretariat where they interacted with Akawor.
The decampees comprised mostly of prominent APC members from Kalabariland.
Also, another group of decampees comprising members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm and newspaper publishers in the state who were members of the APC were at the PDP secretariat to denounce membership of the party.
The decampees, who are under the auspices of the Port Harcourt Press, were led to the party secretariat by a chieftain of the PDP and publisher of the Port Harcourt Telegraph Newspapers, Hon Ogbonna Nwuke.
Also in the team that visited the PDP chairman with the decampees were Publisher of the National Network Newspaper, Pastor Jerry Needam; and Publisher of the TopNews, Chief Ngor Martins-Yellow, both PDP chieftains.
Receiving the decampees, Chairman of the PDP in Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, expressed gratitude to them for taking the bold step, saying that they had come at the right time.
Akawor, who told them that the PDP was a household name in the state, said the party was in the DNA of every Rivers person.
He disclosed that the present administration under Chief Nyesom Wike, has achieved so much for Rivers people in terms of development, even when no one gave him any chance in the state.
Akawor said the emergence of Siminialayi Fubara as the party’s Governorship candidate was the best thing that happened to Rivers people as the PDP candidate does not have boys or belong to any group in the state.
He narrated the circumstances that led to the choice of Siminialayi Fubara as the Governorship Candidate of the PDP, noting that his choice was for purposes of fairness to the three senatorial zones of the state, especially the riverine part which has not produced the governor since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999.
“In the Rivers West, Dr. Peter Odili has taken it; and so, Rivers West should be eliminated for fairness. For the Rivers East, Sir Celestine Omehia, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike have emerged from that district; so, Rivers East was also ruled out.
“The focus now was on Rivers South East Senatorial District which comprises of Ogoni (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme), Oyigbo, Opobo/Nkoro, and Andoni. Since all the people that have emerged from Rivers West and East were from the upland part, and remember the APC has taken their governorship candidate from the riverine, we decided that our candidate must also come from the riverine part of Rivers South East Senatorial District”.
He disclosed that the issue of governorship came up on the eve of Governor Nyesom Wike’s birthday, when the elders of the state came to pay him a surprise birthday visit, explaining that the issue came up after the elders called on the governor to vie for the position of president of the country.
“The Rivers Elders’ Forum met in the house of Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, and agreed to go and wish our governor happy birthday by 12midnight. We also agreed that night that the governor has done all he needed to do in the state, and that we think he is a product we can sell to the nation. So, we drafted a letter to wish him happy birthday, and included two clauses there, urging him to run for the presidency.
“When we got to his (governor) house, it was already past 12midnight. We woke him up and handed the letter over to him. He read it and saw the clause where we said he should run for president. He said ‘you people say I should run for the presidency, let us settle home first. You people should decide who should be the governor’.”
He disclosed that out of those who wanted to be governor, seven of them were at the meeting, and they were told to go and choose one person from among themselves who will run for the position of governor, but they couldn’t do so.
“So, what we did was that we called one of our lawyers, former NBA Chairman, Chief OCJ Okocha, to draft a form of an agreement that if at the end of the day, you are not the person selected, you will be willing to work with whoever will be selected, and everybody signed. As we were getting to the primary, the governor invited the elders’ forum, and said: now we have reached the peak of the problem, what do we do?
“So, we now asked who were the candidates that collected the forms from the riverine of South East. They were Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara and former Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, while the upland people were Senator Olaka Nwogu, Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Gabriel Pidomson, and Commissioner for Finance, Hon Isaac Kamalu. These were upland. So, automatically, they were eliminated. And of course, Sim Fubara, and Tele Ikuru, who is the cousin to Prince Uche Secondus. Ikuru was also eliminated, and it remained only two of them: Kamalu and Fubara. The elders then asked the two of them to go inside and decide who should go, and Sim Fubara became the choice”.
Speaking separately, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke and Chief David Briggs, said they had come to introduce their brothers and colleagues who have indicated interest to leave the APC, and rejoin the PDP.
Nwuke said as information managers, the decampees would join forces with those of them who were already in the party to provide robust platform for the PDP to disseminate campaign information, and demanded that they be provided with timely information from the party leadership.
On his part, Briggs said he was bringing to the PDP, great politicians who had made the APC in the area stronger, promising that they would deploy their experience as political juggernauts towards strengthening the PDP.

Continue Reading

News

Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf

Published

on

Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.

The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP  Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.

CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.

The students, led by  Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.

According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.

The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.

Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.

He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.

Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.

The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.

He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.

CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.

He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.

Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.

The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.

The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.

According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.

The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.

Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.

He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.

CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.

Continue Reading

News

College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates  For 2027 Polls

Published

on

The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.

International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.

Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.

He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.

Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.

He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.

“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.

Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.

Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.

He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.

According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.

Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.

The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.

Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.

By: John Bibor

Continue Reading

News

Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping

Published

on

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.

Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.

The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.

He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.

Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.

On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.

The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.

Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.

On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.

He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.

The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.

Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.

By; King Onunwor

Continue Reading

Trending