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RIVERS ALGON DISTANCES SELF FROM PLANNED PROTEST
Members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State Chapter, have dissociated themselves from the planned protest against hunger billed to commence on August 1 across the country.
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Friday, the ALGON members, comprising chairmen of caretaker committees in the 23 local government areas of the State, said that they are totally against the planned protest because it was capable of being hijacked by hoodlums to loot and destroy valuable properties and cause break down of law and order.
Speaking on behalf of members of ALGON in the State, the Caretaker Committee Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, Prince Ichemati Ezebunwo, said that the State has been peaceful, adding that it was unnecessary to allow agents of destabilization to plunge the State into palpable instability, anarchy and chaos with needless protest and disorganized demonstrations.
Ezebunwo also reiterated the unalloyed support and commitment of the ALGON members to the implementation of the key objectives of Mr President’s policies and programmes as enunciated in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
He said, “Sequel to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting of June, 2024, where intense deliberations were held and resolutions reached on measures to adopt in improving the lives of our people at the grassroots, and the swift release of allocations due the local government councils, we, the members of ALGON, Rivers State Chapter, state”, that” we thank Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the timely and unhindered release of allocations for the various local government councils.
“We want to thank our peace-loving Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who has instructed us to remain peaceful in the face of unwarranted provocation, and to dispense the local government funds in line with the local government laws for the overall benefit of our people.
“ALGON, Rivers State, dissociates itself from the planned protest from August 1, 2024, by faceless individuals against the government and policies of President Tinubu.
“We state categorically that we are committed to cascading the key objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President in our various local government areas.
“We hereby call on the people to discountenance any planned protest as measures are being put in place to cushion the effects of the economic situation” in the country today.
The State ALGON also expressed worries at the increasing involvement of police officers in the escalation of hostilities against members of the caretaker committees and peace-loving and law-abiding Rivers people by the immediate past chairmen of local government councils, and their violent and armed agents, whose intentions have been to cause anarchy and engineer a climate of lawlessness in the State.
While condemning the rising attacks on CTC chairmen and supporters of the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the ALGON members cautioned those involved in perpetrating acts of violence and intimidation in the State, to desist forthwith, and toe the path of peace, saying that their desperation was becoming unacceptable to the generality of Rivers people.
They said, “We recall that earlier today, the immediate past local government chairmen made inciting statements bordering on claims to perpetuating themselves in office they had constitutionally ceased to occupy at the effluxion of time on June 17, 2024.
“We hereby warn these impostors to desist forthwith, and also call the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to call them (immediate past LG chairmen) to order.”
The ALGON members urged the police to be professional, apolitical and neutral in the discharge of their duties, and avoid compromising themselves by aligning with some impostors and desperate politicians to destabilise the State and cause unnecessary distractions for the government, which they said, was committed to the delivery of good governance to Rivers people.
They also condemned, in strong terms, the dastardly attacks on ALGON members in Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor local government areas, where the immediate past chairmen and a former lawmaker led armed thugs and rogue policemen to inflict deadly harm on their members, and vulnerable people in the communities.
They specifically mentioned the incidents in Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, and Eliozu in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where pregnant women, vulnerable children and people with disabilities were ferociously attacked, teargassed, and injured while vehicles and valuable medical consumables and hospital equipment were damaged.
The ALGON said that it was callous for the past local government chairmen to hire thugs and mindless policemen to attack law-abiding people who were responding to a key Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda programme aimed at providing healthcare services to the people at the grassroots.
The ALGON members wondered why any politician and former elected public office holder should disrupt a Federal Government-sponsored primary healthcare programme designed to improve the health status of rural dwellers, who they had claimed to serve.
They warned that the police must not deliberately create an atmosphere of crisis by openly or clandestinely showing support for and protection to the immediate past LG chairmen, and other loyalists of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, adding that such posture would be vehemently resisted.
The State ALGON members also called on the Inspector General of Police, and the Commissioner for Police, to respect the will and the fundamental rights of the people at the LGAs by allowing legitimate workers at the local governments unfettered access to their offices to perform their lawful duties unhindered.
They argued that by denying the local government workers access to their offices to carry out their legitimate duties, the police were deliberately allowing themselves to be used to deny the people at the grassroots the opportunity to enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.