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We’ve Made RSUTH Best Teaching Hospital In Nigeria, Wike Declares
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) as the best of such medical facility in Nigeria.
Wike made the declaration given the huge investment his administration has made that was strengthening the capacity of the specialist hospital in the training of medical personnel, research and medical innovations.
The governor spoke at the inauguration of the twin buildings housing the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences and the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, performed by the Chairman of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Prof. Abba Hassan in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
“Go to the university teaching hospital, you have the best of equipment you can talk about. I don’t see any teaching hospital in this country today that can compare with what we have at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.”
Wike noted the several other separate health service providing facilities that are integrated into the teaching hospital for holistic service delivery.
The governor enthused that even the medical personnel and students alike do have the best of medical equipment that would expose them to contemporary medical practice.
Wike explained that soon, the Renal Centre and the hostel for medical house officers that have been completed would soon be inaugurated.
With such huge investment made, Wike charged the teachers and students to take their work and studies seriously so that there would be sustained excellence in the health sector.
“We are commissioning the Renal Centre and the house officers’ hostel, which have been completed and furnished soon.
“But it beats my imagination that a teaching hospital has no Renal Centre. Go and see the Mother and Child Hospital; the gynaecology and paediatric sections. Those of you who will be using the teaching hospital for your learning, you are getting the best equipment for your practical. What you see overseas is what you are seeing here.
“So, you must count yourselves to be lucky that you came at a time you won’t say we don’t have laboratory. You have everything now. So, there will be no excuse from you. All you need to do is to concentrate.”
Wike also reassured that he would not leave office without completing projects his administration has awarded, but noted that should any be left without being inaugurated, he was confident that his successor would, in the spirit of continuity, complete them for inauguration.
“I will not leave any project unfinished. I will make sure all the projects we have started are finished. If they are not finished, maybe at 90 or 95oercent completion, when my successors, Siminialayi Fubara and Prof. Ngozi Ordu come, they should use them for their first 100 days in office projects and commission them.
“This isbecause; they are part of what we are doing. When I say my successor, you know they will win. You know they will win because our report card is there to show what we have done. We are in the period of operation show your report card.”
Speaking further, Wike directed the commissioner for special projects to visit the site for building of hostels for medical students of the Rivers State University, and assess what was required to complete the project in the next two months.
Wike also insisted that the Pathology Department of the university should be ready for inauguration in January, 2023.
Performing the inauguration of the project, Chairman of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Prof. Abba Hassan, noted the audacity of Wike to sustain regular training of over 300 medical and other auxiliary staff.
These, he said, were also paid regularly higher than any government, including the Federal Government.
“Governor Wike has invested satisfactorily in this entire tripod starting with the development of manpower in the health sector, giving a foundation to sustain the investment in the infrastructure and equipment procurement.
“It will also provide opportunity for research and invention. I learned that over 300 medical and staff had been trained and are being paid regularly higher than any government, including the Federal Government. This will certainly help to forestall the cancerous brain drain in this sector.”
Hassan expressed his excitement to be part of the event when he said, “I’m privileged to be invited on this occasion to commission one of the projects in health sector among several projects that had been commissioned so far.
“For us in the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as regulator in training and practice of medicine and dentistry, wish to note with satisfaction the developmental so far done in this sector by your government.
“Healthcare training and services are anchored on a tripod of consisting of personnel, infrastructure and equipment procurement.”
On his part, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing council of the university, Justice IcheNdu (rtd), recalled how on November 29, 2019, representatives of the National University Commission (NUC) were on resource verification at RSU College of Medical Sciences.
During the visit, they insisted, he said, that before the university would be accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to proceed to the clinicals, commitments should be shown in building such faculty building.
He thanked Wike for his support that has actualised the requirement needed for full accreditation.
In his speech, Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, said the university was appreciative of the sagacity and commitment shown by Wike towards the improvement of medical study and services in the institution.
In his address, Commissioner for Education, Prof Chinedu Mmom, said it took the audacity of the governor to break the jinx by establishing the College of Medical Sciences at the Rivers State University.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.
The update was provided during the commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, seven new applications were submitted within the past week, adding to the previous number.
“At its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday 10th July 2025, the commission received a further update on additional requests from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“Since last week, seven more applications have been received, bringing the total number so far to 129. All the requests are being processed,” the commission stated.
The commission revealed the introduction of a new digital platform for political party registration. The platform is part of the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System and aims to streamline the registration process.
Olumekun disclosed that final testing of the portal would be completed within the next week.
“INEC also plans to release comprehensive guidelines to help associations file their applications using the new system.
“Unlike the manual method used in previous registration, the Commission is introducing a political party registration portal, which is a module in our Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System.
“This will make the process faster and seamless. In the next week, the commission will conclude the final testing of the portal before deployment.
“Thereafter, the next step for associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage will be announced. The commission will also issue guidelines to facilitate the filing of applications using the PFRAS,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the list of new associations that have submitted applications has been made available to the public on INEC’s website and other official platforms.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.