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Police Can’t Challenge Wike’s Executive Order 21, Rivers CP Tells Opposition Parties …Warns Against Violence, Destruction Of Campaign Posters, Billboards
Following disagreements over the pronouncements of Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, on Executive Order 21, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Okon Effiong, has clarified those in doubt about the potency of the order that the police cannot challenge the state government on its legality, but rather urged aggrieved parties to seek redress in the court.
Effiong made this clarification during a stakeholders meeting organised by the police command at the Police Officers Mess in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
He averred that there was separation of powers in the democratic dispensation among the three tiers of the government: the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, which provided for checks and balances.
The CP while responding to questions from the APC gubernatorial candidate, Arch Tonye Cole, and other opposition political parties during the one-day meeting, said the police as the lead security agency in the internal security architecture has the responsibility to protect the rule of law, and not interfere with other arms’ responsibilities.
“ If you are so aggrieved with the executive order, approach the court for interpretation and seek redress”, he stated.
He told the audience that the essence of the meeting was to seek ways on how to achieve peaceful environment for electioneering campaign activities and successful elections in the state.
According to him, the state has made huge investments in the areas of peace and must be sustained, adding that every efforts must be put to have a one indivisible state during and after the elections.
Effiong warned that the police would not tolerate electoral campaign disruptions, destruction and burning of campaign billboards, posters and fliers, and urged the stakeholders to warn their supporters to desist from such act as anyone caught will be dealt with.
“I know that the problem is always with the supporters, try and pass this messages to them.
“Every political party in the state must be allowed to exist, do its campaigns, and have the opportunity to talk to the electorate, who will decide who governs them.
“If we kill those we want to govern, who then shall we govern?
“The country operates multi-party democracy, so, we must give everybody equal opportunity to campaign”, he stated.
The state police boss assured all the contestants of equal protection, irrespective of their political affiliations, adding that the police will increase deployment of personnel in the senatorial zones.
“In fact, the management team has approved the establishment of tactical teams across the three senatorial districts of the state as a sure means of protection and effective policing during the elections.”
He assured that the police command under his watch will be apolitical, and urged all the candidates running for state and national legislative elections and gubernatorial position to apply for police protection and details, adding that their requests would be granted equally, without discrimination.
By: Akujobi Amadi
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
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.