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Rivers More Attractive To Investors, Wike Insists ..Inaugurates Multi-Chain Supermarket

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said that he was delighted that measures taken by his administration to make the state an investment destination have continued to yield results.
One of such recent evidence was the formal opening of the HyperCity Supermarket, located at the Eastern Bye-pass Junction, Ogbu-nu-Abali community in Port Harcourt Local Government Area.
Wike was on hand to formally inaugurate the supermarket, last Wednesday, and opened it for daily business transaction.
The governor said the land on which the supermarket was sited used to be a mangrove forest from where criminals terrorise the adjoining Ogbu-nu-Abali community and motorists.
With his administration sand-filling the area, Wike noted how attractive it became to the owner of HyperCity Supermarket who haddecided to establish his venture there.
Concerning growing the business stakes of the state, Wike said his administration was more interested in anything that would attract investment and create jobs for Rivers people.
“But government took it upon itself to make sure that criminals don’t continue to thrive here. We owe the economy of the state to grow. We owe to provide security for businessmen and women, and security of communities.
“You have seen how beautiful it looks, it cost us money to sand-filled this area. Just like people are approaching us now at the other site that they want to establish this and that. We feel happy and encouraged.
“The duty of government is to provide enabling environment. I want investors to come to the state. When investors come to the state, our people will be employed. When our people are employed, government will collect taxes and use those taxes and do other things for the state.”
Wike commended the management of HyperCity Supermarket for keeping to the agreed business timeline concerning the use of the land they secured from government.
The governor said since his administration was ending soon, any investor that has secured land for use for business must begin to actualise that purpose or lose the land.
“Just like we said that anybody that wants land from Rivers State Government, you’ll tell us the duration.
“Because in previous administration, people come and tell government they want to do this, they want to do that. And then, government will give them the land, and then you’ll find out that in five or six years, nothing has happened.
“Before you know it, they take government land and sell and make more money or use the government land as collateral for loan.
Wike recalled how the land on which Silverbird Cinema is located along the AbonnemaWhaff Road was also secured by an investor from the state government but instead of concentrating on the business purposes, used it to borrow money.
Today, the governor expressed the regret that state government was struggling to regain the land from AMCON that seized it from Silverbird for defaulting in repaying the loan it took from the bank.
“Today, you know where you have Silverbird Cinema that is government landed property. You know that was where Obi Wali Cultural Centre used to be. But somebody came and told government they’re going to build something underground and this and that, and government gave the land.
“You know what the person did? He took our land and went and took loan from the bank without building what is supposed to be there. AMCON now came to seize the property that the person did not pay the loan. And today, we are struggling to take it back.”
Wike enjoined the management to provide employment to members of the host community and Rivers youths.
He also insisted that such indigenous staff must be offered requisite training that will enable them grow to become management staff of the company.
In his speech, Managing Director of HyperCity Supermarket, Mr. Sunny Chuwla, said HyperCity is a modern retail store based on Hypermarket store format l.
He stated that they offer unparalleled choice of local and international products cutting across the entire spectrum of consumable needs of a family under One Roof.
“HyperCITY story started a year ago. When we were given the opportunity to invest here, it came with a condition that we need to open the store before Dec. 2022, or the land will be revoked without excuses.
“Today, we are glad that we have opened the 1st Store much before the deadline. Our second store is also lined up for opening very soon.
“We all know that retail is one of the largest employment sectors in the world and as at today, HyperCity has generated over 200 direct and indirect jobs to the Rivers people in this single store.”
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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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