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Buhari Praises Wike’s Contributions To Legal Education …Says Rivers Gov’s Support Unrivalled In Nigeria
President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has described the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, built, furnished and handed over by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike’s administration as a grand wonder, structured to be self-sustaining.
The president noted that the project, among several others, was no doubt an abiding testament to the commitment of Wike to the promotion of law and development in Rivers State and beyond.
Buhari spoke while inaugurating the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
“I need not engage in poetic verbosity to properly describe the grand wonder that is being commissioned today. The icing on the cake is the fact that this edifice and its state-of-the-art facilities are structured to be self-sustaining through, associated revenue earners, as designed by a man of higher vision who is now fondly referred to as Mr Project.”
Buhari said he was aware that Wike extended development initiatives to the neighbouring Bayelsa State, by executing multi-billion-naira projects that included a 900-bed space hostel and 1,500-capacity auditorium, in the Yenagoa Campus of the Nigerian Law School.
This, he noted, was in addition to the provision of critical infrastructure support extended to federal courts in Rivers State, over the years.
“These are indeed pace-setting and unparalleled contributions by a state government to what was ordinarily under the remit of the Federal Government.
“Governor Wike’s dedication to these projects is better appreciated from the viewpoint of his being an unrelenting advocate of true federalism in Nigeria.”
Buhari said the resultant effects of the governor’s sterling efforts had continued to strengthen the rule of law and national development.
The Nigerian president commended the good heart and statesmanship of Wike, on behalf of the entire justice family and lovers of justice in Nigeria for his unifying efforts and commitment to national harmony.
“Governor Nyesom Wike has executed numerous landmark infrastructural projects which have transformed the human and economic development of Rivers State, while also forging socio-political alliances and promoting national harmony.
“Indeed, our dear nation needs more of such unifying efforts. It is in recognition of the foregoing that my administration discarded political considerations and acknowledged excellence, by conferring Governor Wike with the Nigerian Excellence Award in Public Service, in October, 2022, for his unprecedented leadership role in the delivery of legacy infrastructural projects in Rivers State and beyond. Your Excellency, you have indeed immortalised yourself and history will be kind to you.”
Buhari reiterated that the ceremony served as an avenue for them to be reminded of the need to promote cooperation and understanding between the federal and state governments in the overall national interest and the welfare of all Nigerians.
In his speech, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, said that sequel to his request for approval to build a law campus in Port Harcourt and subsequent approval given, he was today most delighted to have delivered the facility, completed within 10 months.
He stated that the contract for the project was awarded to indigenous contractors, who handled each of the structures under strict supervision, costing the state government about N17billion.
Wike revealed that one of the reasons why his administration had been able to embark on several projects was because Buhari had graciously approved the payment and release of unpaid 13percent derivation deductions since 1999 to all states in the Niger Delta.
He said, “Buhari is not a noisemaker. He can’t say what he cannot do. The money I’m using all these years came from him. Since 1999, PDP couldn’t pay all the states in the Niger Delta the money that was supposed to go to them by right as NDDC states, which was signed and sealed officially.
“Almost all the states in the Niger Delta are opposition states to the president’s party but he gave us what’s due to us. Former PDP presidents couldn’t pay their fellow PDP states what’s due them. Nothing stopped Buhari of APC to order ‘don’t pay them’. He has all the right to do that but he acted the good father of the nation he is always known for.
“The money I used in doing over 12 flyover bridges and roads in Rivers State in the tune of hundreds of billions of Naira, and which all other NDDC state governors collected their own, didn’t come from FAAC but from the 13percent derivation paid to us by President Muhammadu Buhari which was not given to us by former PDP presidents. Stop talking against him, Buhari is a good man”.
The governor insisted that the financial support given by the Rivers State Government to the Nigerian Law School should be expended on the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus, and nowhere else.
The governor said it would be unfair for the Rivers State Government to have spent so much on providing the campus, and not have an admission quota exclusive to the state.
In his goodwill message, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, said Wike was a true leader who had shown excellence in governance, and deliberately invested in the legal profession that would serve the course of justice to the people.
Speaking for the Benchers, its Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun, noted that there was no legal professional who has contributed as much as Wike has done to the promotion of legal practice in Nigeria.
In his speech, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who described the day as epochal for the legal profession, decried the inability of the National Assembly and other stakeholders to enact a new Legal Practitioners’ Act that should make the legal practice of international standard in the country.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Nnaemeka Ngige, conveyed the appreciation of the council over the enthusiasm and cooperation of the government and people of Rivers State in the delivery of a landmark project that would serve to benefit the development of Nigeria.
On his part, the Director General of Nigerian Law School, Prof. Issa Hayatu Ciroma, commended Wike for keeping to his promise of building a self-sustaining brand new campus for the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt.
He assured that legal education activities would now commence at the law campus fully, which was now a model to use by any person or government when establishing law campuses in the county.
Giving a description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr. Dakorinima Alabo George –Kelly, said the site, once occupied by the state’s School of Nursing, overtime became swampy, which was the situation when the civil work on the law school campus started.
According to him, with 21metere height of sand-filling of the land, 15 buildings had been built, which include a 700-capacity cafeteria, a moot court, and a 1,638-capacity three-storey classroom block.
He further said that there were five hostels to house about 1,350 plus 1,638 students, library, 1,500-capacity auditorium and standby power plant.
In his address, the Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, recalled that on June 4, 2021, during the flag off of the construction of modern facilities at the Yanagoa Law School in Bayelsa State, Wike requested for a law campus in Port Harcourt.
He noted that the request was eventually granted with approval from the Federal Government and Council of Legal Education, which necessitated the laying of the foundation stone on June 17, 2021.
Adangor said, today, after 10 months, a brand new facility had been built, furnished, equipped and handed over as Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.