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RSG Woos NNPCL Retirees To Buy-In, Invest In Modular Refineries In Rivers
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says his government is poised to attract the best brains in the state and beyond to help transform the state to the fast lane of accelerated development.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, while playing host to a delegation of the NNPC Eastern Zone Retired Staff Investment Cooperative Society Limited, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, recently.
Johnson, who himself is a retiree of the hydrocarbon behemoth, noted that the NNPC senior citizens have a lot to offer in advancing the course of development in the state, given their wealth of experience, which he said, the state government was willing to tap from.
He expressed gratitude to the management committee of the group for the courtesy visit to identify with the Rivers State Government, emphasising that their visit has given him a sense of belonging.
Johnson explained that the governor and has been on course in delivering people-oriented programmes and projects through the help of God and the massive support of Rivers people, despite the plans of detractors to divert his attention from fulfilling his mandate.
According to him; “Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as an accountant, is not given to much noise. He is very humane, friendly and ready to serve the state creditably.
“We have lost a lot in the area of human capital development, which the governor is determined to fix.”
He noted that Rivers State, unlike Lagos, has not experienced simultaneous development across all the 23 local government areas in the State due to politicking in the past eight years.
Johnson noted that the governor has come up with a different concept of accelerated development, which despite the efforts of detractors, was beginning to put some legacies in place that would speak for the government in days and years to come.
He told the NNPC retired staff that his office was open to them at all times, even as he enjoined them to offer advice to the government in areas that it was not doing well.
According to him, “Any area we are not doing well, please tell us so that we can adjust. We are humans. We are bound to make mistakes.
“The governor is a human being like all of us. He has been in the public service. But he would leverage on the experience that most of you have acquired over the years at NNPC, which is pivotal when it comes to organizational management.”
The commissioner added, “For example, we have electricity supply challenge which those of you with engineering expertise can make available to the Rivers State Government. This is an area that you can be interested in, and we are ready to partner with you.
“There is no reason why we cannot have a modular refinery to produce fuel and associated by-products for our local consumption to address the high cost of the products.”
He, therefore, charged them to buy-in to the government initiative as a game changer, even as he noted that they (NNPC retired staff) could as well offer consultancy services to the government in the areas of their core competencies.
Johnson urged them to serve as his mirror, so as to point the way to a premium quality service delivery to the good people of Rivers State.
He noted that Fubara’s strategy of silence and focused leadership has discomfited the adversaries, thus making him very unpredictable.
He sued for constant interactions for cross fertilization of ideas that would be mutually beneficial.
Earlier in his remarks, President, NNPC Eastern Zone Retired Staff Investment Cooperative Society Limited, Sir Francis Igwebuike Ifi, had congratulated the commissioner on his well-deserved appointment as a member of the Rivers State Executive Council and Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state.
He expressed absolute confidence in the ability of the state Chief Image Maker to deliver premium quality service to the state, given his antecedents.
Ifi stated that the NNPC EZRSICS, which is the investment arm of the retirees, recognises Johnson as one of their own, a close friend and dependable ally who has the development and progress of the cooperative at heart.
He said that it was for that reason that they associate with him and will continue to support the state government to achieve its mandates in key sectors.
“Our courtesy visit to you today is to show our solidarity and felicitate with you on your well-deserved appointment as Commissioner for Information and Communications of the Rivers State Government.
“We are delighted that you have made us proud to be so appointed into an exalted office. Your appointment has given all of us, cooperators, a sense of joy, pride and happiness”, he said.
Continuing, Ifi said; “We are very happy for your appointment, and pray to God Almighty to grant you the wherewithal to perform your duties efficiently and creditably.
“We also pledge and vow to support you and the Rivers State Government such that, even the governor will be happy with us.
“We also want to urge you to please, convey our warmest greetings to His Excellency, Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“We are aware of what has been happening in the state since his assumption of office. Please, tell him that we are convinced in his ability to overcome and chart a new course for the development of the state in line with his constitutional mandate as the duly elected governor of Rivers State.
“We are solidly behind you and the government and good people of Rivers State,” he concluded.
Other members of the NNPC Eastern Zone Retired Staff Investment Cooperative Society Limited’s Management Team on the courtesy visit included the Vice President, Rev. Charles W. George; Financial Secretary, Elder Daminabo Iwo George; and Treasurer, Mr. Monday Ewonubari Yaakor.
Others are Secretary, Elder Blessing T. Kalio; and Assistant Secretary, Mr. Daere R. Amachree.
A minute silence was later observed in honour of the former Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the NNPC Eastern Zone Retired Staff Investment Cooperative Society Limited, late Engr. A. M. Alabi, who was said to have slumped and died recently in his Kwara State home.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor
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