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Wike Shuns Elders’ Ultimatum To PDP

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From right, the President General of NUR, Comrade  Raphel Okoro, the Eastern District Union Chairman, Orji Kalu Innocent and the  state chairman, Pastor Woyengidengiyefa Ikoni during the Eastern Rail line flag-off last Tuesday. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

From right, the President General of NUR, Comrade Raphel Okoro, the Eastern District Union Chairman, Orji Kalu Innocent and the state chairman, Pastor Woyengidengiyefa Ikoni during the Eastern Rail line flag-off last Tuesday. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

Barely few weeks to the 2015 governorship election, elders of Rivers State have given the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a week ultimatum to substitute its governorship candidate in the state, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike with a candidate from the riverine axis of the state.
The elders, under the auspices of Rivers Elders and Leaders Council (RELC) also appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the national leadership of the PDP to ensure the withdrawal of Wike in the interest of equity, justice and fairness to various ethnic nationalities that make up the state.
Chairman of RELC, Chief Albert Horsfall, who disclosed this yesterday while speaking to newsmen at Omagwa, near Port Harcourt, shortly after the meeting of the elders, said if by January 5, 2015, the PDP fails to substitute Wike, the people of the state would be mobilised to vote for the riverine candidate of any other political party that can win the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Horsfall said, “What we are saying here is that if the Peoples Democratic Party fails to substitute Nyesom Wike by January 5, 2015, all true Rivers people will vote en masse for the riverine candidate of any other party that can win election in Rivers State.
“Mr President is our son; we are appealing to him to prevail on the PDP to substitute Wike, but if they fail, we will encourage other aspirants to close ranks and produce a riverine candidate who has the potential to win the governorship of this state.”
He said, as elders, they were not opposed to the reconciliation initiated by the PDP governorship candidate, adding that true reconciliation within the party would commence once Wike withdraws as the party’s standard bearer.
The former Minister of State for Education yesterday, made a bold attempt at wooing women of the state when he presented Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, as his running mate ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Wike explained that he decided to choose a woman as his running mate as a result of the desire to create a place for women to play active role in the political and economic development of the state.
He stated that the task of choosing a running mate took him some time, attributing the situation on the rot in the governance of the state.
Describing Mrs. Banigo, who is a former Head of Service in the state, as a rare breed and a leader with uncommon traits, Wike expressed optimism that the ex-Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the State Government would join his team to rebuild the state.
Banigo, who is from Degema Local Government Area, attended various universities, including the University of Ibadan where she obtained her Bachelors of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (1976), the Harvard (1981) and the University of London (1990).
Speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt while presenting his running mate, Wike observed that though the history of the state was awash with the input of great women, no woman had been given the opportunity to hold an office as high as that of the state deputy governor.
He said, “The search has ended. Dr. (Mrs) Banigo is a rare breed and a leader with uncommon traits. She will join us to rebuild the state. Her choice was informed by the need to create a special place for women to play active role in the politics of the state. Since 1967 when the state was created, no woman has been given such an opportunity. Yet, the history of the state is replete with women of great achievements. The time has come to give women the chance to play pivotal roles in the state.
“Rivers PDP is determined to move away from the primordial era of treating women with disdain and indignity. We want to move away from the acts of our opponents who relish giving out token to women. As a first step, Rivers PDP decided that a woman should occupy the post.” He added.
However, Mrs. Banigo, in her acceptance speech, expressed gratitude to the party and the governorship candidate for picking her as running mate to Wike.
She observed the challenges facing the state and added that such challenges became tougher in the face of the dwindling revenue and security issues in the country.
Describing her nomination as the running mate to the PDP governorship candidate as an honour to Rivers women, Banigo pledges to bring her experience while serving the state to bare and ensure the empowerment of women.
She joined Wike to appeal to the women in the state to reciprocate the state PDP’s gesture and vote massively for the party in the forthcoming election.

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Bonny-Bodo Road: FG Offers Additional N20bn, Targets December Deadline

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The Federal Government has agreed to offer additional N20.5 billion for the completion of the Bonny-Bodo road project in December.
The government, however, said if the construction company, Julius Berger, was not ready to accept the offer, the contract will be terminated.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, said this during a meeting with the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Lars Ritcher and members of Bodo-Bonny Road Peace Committee, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The reports that Julius Berger had requested asking for a N28 billion variation on the 82 per cent completed project.
The company hinged its request on the rise in exchange rate, construction materials, and diesel among others.
Umahi, however, said the government was willing to provide N20 billion out of the N28 billion that Julius Berger requested for.
According to him, the Bonny-Bodo road contract which was initially awarded at the cost of N120 billion in 2015, was later varied at N199 billion with a completion dateline of December 2023, which has since elapsed.
The Tide’s source recalls that in 2017, an agreement between the Federal Government, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Julus Berger on modalities for funding the project cost of N199.923 billion, without any further increase.
“If you do not accept the Federal Government’s offer by Friday and resume work on the site, the previously expired 14-day ultimatum for termination of project will be enforced.
“I want to let you know that we are the client. No contractor will dictate for this ministry, and there is no job that is compulsory that a particular contractor must do.
“We give you an offer. If you do not like the offer, you walk away. You don’t force us or we don’t force you.
“Agreement of contractual relationship is a mutual understanding,’’ the minister said.
Umahi said that had Julius Berger adhered to the project timetable, the project would have been completed on schedule before the impact of foreign exchange.
“Our position is very simple, we reject the conditions of Julius Berger totally and we ask Berger to please go back to the site to complete the project based on our offer.
“Our offer is unconditional and we say, accept or reject, so you cannot subject our offer to your conditions ,’’ he added
Umahi said the company should be humble in its dealings and exhibit solidarity during challenges.
Earlier, Richter had explained that the company suspended work on the site to seek some clarifications from the ministry.
According to him, the company asked for the augmemtation of N28 bilion because as at the time the contract was awarded the exchange rate was N305 to a dollar and diesel was N350 eor litre.
“We will still require some outstanding materials; that means that the initial agreement can’t fly because the variation of project is not sufficient and the exchange rate is also not in our favour to compensate the additional costs.
“That is why we decided to go back to our original proposal of the augmentation. Augmentation is a very normal process for all contracts,” the managing director said.
Chief Abel Attoni, Palace Secretary, Bonny Kingdom, expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the decision to complete the Bodo-Bonny road project.
Attonu urged the parties to be patriotic and make the necessary sacrifice for the actualisation of the project.

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Court Vacates Arrest Warrant Against Ehie, Five Others

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The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, set aside the warrant of arrest against Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Rivers State, and five others.
Justice Emeka Nwite stated this while delivering his ruling in an application seeking to vacate the warrant of arrest which he issued on January 31, 2024.
The Judge said he was misled by the police in ordering the arrest of Ehie in connection with the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly on October 30, 2023.
The Police, had told the court that Ehie and five others masterminded the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly amid a plot to impeach Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The five others are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter, alias Rambo.
Justice Emeka Nwite while setting aside the warrant said it has now become a mere academic exercise.
The judge further granted same to the 2nd to 5th Defendant/Applicant in same suit.
Femi Falana, SAN, and Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, who appeared for the defendants in separate suits, held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to have granted the order.
While Falana filed a motion seeking an order to set aside the January 31 order by Justice Nwite, Aladedoye applied for a stay of execution of the arrest order.
In a motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/112/2024 dated February 2 and filed on February 7 by Falana, Ehie sought two orders, including “an order setting aside the order made on January 31 for want of jurisdiction.
“An order of this honourable court staying the execution of the order made on the 31st January 2024, pending the hearing and determination of this application.”
Giving six grounds of argument, Falana argued that the complainant had not filed any criminal charge or motion before the court.
The senior lawyer argued that the court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the ex-parte application as the alleged offences of conspiracy, attempted murder, murder and arson took place in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
“He submitted that the court lacked the vires to grant an application to arrest and declare his clients wanted in respect of the alleged offences.
“The complainant/respondent (IG) did not adduce evidence of terrorism in the affidavit in support of the application.
“The complainant/respondent did not cite any section of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013 (as amended) alleged to have been contravened by the applicants,” he argued.
Aladedoye in a motion on notice dated and filed February 9, on behalf of the five defendants, sought two orders, including
“an order staying execution or further execution of the order(s) of this honourable court made on the 31st of January, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the applicants.
“An order of injunction restraining the complainant from carrying out or further carrying out the orders of this honourable court made on the 31st January 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the applicant in this case.”
Giving a three-ground argument, Aladedoye said that a notice of appeal had already been filed against Justice Nwite’s orders.
According to the senior lawyer, the notice of appeal contains grounds that challenge the jurisdiction of the honourable court.
The Inspector-General had, in a charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, arraigned the defendants on a seven-count criminal charge bordering on terrorism and murder.

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13 Students Bag First Class, 182 PhD As IAUOE Graduates 5,550, Today

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The authorities of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUOE), Rumuolumeni, in Rivers State, have stated that 13 students will be graduating with first class while 182 graduands will bag Ph.D during the 42nd convocation ceremony of the university billed to hold today and tomorrow.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, disclosed this during pre-convocation press briefing held in his office, yesterday, to unveil the programme for the convocation ceremony.
Onuchuku said that the 13 students were among the 4,653 graduands expected to graduate for the 2022/2023 academic session with first degree, while 897 students will be graduating with postgraduate degrees.
The Acting Vice Chancellor while giving the breakdown stated that 13 students made first class, 890 students bagged second class upper while 2,739 students had second class lower for first degree.
He further stated that 182 graduands bagged PhD, 667 got master’s degree and 48 got postgraduate diploma, adding that the convocation ceremony will hold today and tomorrow for first degree graduands and postgraduate graduands respectively.
He said that a total of 47 programmes out of the 54 programmes being undertaken at the first degree levels had been given full accreditation by the National University Commission (NUC) as well as all the programmes at the postgraduate school.
“We have ensured that our programmes both at the first degree and post graduates are in line with the NUC stipulated guidelines and speculations. We have also ensured that we are in line with both our academic and administrative policies,” he said.
Prof. Okechukwu urged the graduating students of the institution to always remember to use thier positions to help their alma mater as well as project the institution in a good image in the larger society.
“Try to ensure you finish any project you want to do, evaluate it first and avoid unfinished or abandoned projects. We will be graduating first degree graduands on Friday while Saturday will be for postgraduates, “he added.
Prof. Onuchukwu also said his administration had achieved a lot since he assumed office as Acting Vice Chancellor, stressing that his administration had improved on the welfare of the staff and the students.
“There are a lot of projects completed in the school; we have also given scholarship to some students and also encouraged departments to do same. We also impacted positively on our host communities”, he said.

Akujobi Amadi

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