Politics
CTC Chairperson Commends Fubara Over Visionary Leadership
Caretaker Committee Chairman of Okrika Local Government Council, Princess Ibiene Ogan, has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s visionary leadership which has brought peace and development to all parts of the state.
Princess Ogan who said this while swearing in other members of the committee in Okrika, headquarters of the LGA, also urged the people of Okrika to give their full and unflinching support to the Governor.
She said through the visionary leadership of the Governor, every part of the State is experiencing one form of development or the other.
The caretaker chairman also said her administration will embark on people-oriented programmes that will improve the living conditions of the people.
According to her, issues of human capacity development will be given a boost while the people will be encouraged to go into farming and fishing so as to contain the food crisis in the area.
Princess Ogan also pledged to ensure regular electricity supply in Okrika while the women will be empowered with soft loans.
Princess Ogan, whose address was christened “Concerned About Prosperity’, said the problem of flooding in the island will be addressed with regular desilting of drainages.
In her words, “Today, I am excited to introduce my pet project which is christened “Concerned About Prosperity’. This embodies my commitment to the comprehensive development and prosperity of Okrika”.
According to her, the administration will work tirelessly to ensure that Okrika LGA has a regular and reliable supply of electricity to foster growth and improve the quality of life.
“We will meet with the youth and share in their aspirations. We will hold the first ever youth summit in Okrika LGA.
“Our youth will be actively engaged in fishing activities into the wider sea to enable them to make more money. We will provide cold storage facilities to support them.
“Our farmers will have access to improved varieties, and we will organise agric fair where their harvests can be displayed to enable them to earn money”, she said.
Princess Ogan said her administration wii facilitate access to soft loans, enabling women to thrive in trade and entrepreneurship.while effort will be made to build the capacity of the people with the view to enhancing their skills, knowledge, and opportunities for all.
She also promised regular engagement with The Simplified Movement family in Okrika LGA with the view to ensuring that they are carried along in the scheme of things.
Other programmes include prompt payment of salaries and other entitlements to workers in the area.
She commended the people for their support and assured them that her Administration will uphold the cherished values of the people.
Those sworn in were Kendrick Christian, Andy Okereke, Amieietamuno Loveday, Toku Obianime and Tamunosiki LongJohn.
Speaking on behalf of the caretake committee members, Hon Toku Obianime thanked the people of Okrika for the confidence reposed in them, adding that he and his colleagues will work with the chairman to develop the area.
Also speaking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader in Okrika, Mrs Florence Kaln, thanked Governor Fubara for appointing Princess Ogan to head the Caretaker Committee in Okrika.
Mrs Kaln said, by the appointment, Princess Ogan has opened the door for women to aspire to any position in the area.
The event also witnessed the swearing in of the Secretary of Council, Gold Okujagu.
By: John Bibor
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
