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RVHA Considers Bill On Violence

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9 years ago

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Matters of urgent public interest formed the major
plank of legislative activities at the Rivers State House of Assembly last week in Port Harcourt.
The House, last Thursday, witnessed a swam of both past and present lawmakers, including visitors who had come for the valedictory session held by the Assembly in honour of the deceased elder statesman and its Second Republic Deputy Speaker, Chief Godspower Umejuru Ake.
The Deputy Speaker of the 8th Assembly, Hon Marshal Uwom standing for the Speaker, Rt Hon Adams Dabotorudima who was away for other official duties, described the late Ake as a very humble politician whose legacy is worthy of emulation by all politicians in the state.
Ake, Uwom noted, was a selfless leader, whose political career was devoid of violence, acrimony and greed.
Assuring the family of the full support of the House for burial arrangement, the Deputy Speaker constituted a five-man committee headed by the lawmaker representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Constitutency 1, Hon Christian Ahiakwo, for a befitting burial.
Speaker after speaker, cutting across political divides, showered encomiums on the deceased politician who, at various times, served as State Chairman and National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Among them were former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, Hon Christian Ahiakwo, former House Leader, Hon Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja who urged the political class in the state to emulate the peaceful disposition of the late Ake and work for the unity, peace and progress of the society, irrespective of party affiliation.
The House had on Tuesday entertained a bill for a law to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against persons and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.
The bill, sponsored by the Leader of the House, Hon Martins Chike Amaewhule and the lawmaker representing Emohua Constituency, Hon Samuel Ogeh and entitled: “Rivers State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill 2016”, sought to raise years of imprisonment for rape to 20, 14 and 12 years respectively without option of fine, depending on the level and manner of the offence and the ages of person or group involved.
The bill also seeks 3 years or fine of N500,000.00 or both to anyone who abandons a wife or husband, children or other dependants without any means of sustenance.
The bill passed through the first reading at the plenary session of the house after a motion raised by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon Evans Bipi and seconded by the Leader of the House, Hon Amaewhule.
The Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Adams Dabotorudima who adjoined the debate on the bill, to the next sitting, commended its sponsors, saying that the bill, when passed into law, would reduce crime and violence rates against persons, especially against women, children and persons living with disabilities in the state.
Subsequently the house also adopted the resolution submitted by Hon Evans Bipi Leader, House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions on the matter between Abua/Odual communities and the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) in the state.
According to the Committee Chairman, Hon Bipi, Abua/Odual Council was directed to pay N1,500,000 installmentally to settle the N15,000.000 claimed by PHED as debts owed by the communities in the area.
The House also directed the company to supply steady power to the people, as the council agreed to comply with the Assembly directive.
On the same Tuesday, the Assembly led by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Marshal Uwom and the Information and Training Committee Chairman, Hon Samuel Ogeh addressed protesting members of the National Association of Plant Operators, who alleged that Daewoo Construction Company sacked them without severances.
Addressing the protesters Uwom reiterated the assembly’s commitment to the protection of the rights of the citizenry.

 

Enoch Epelle

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LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

 

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2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE 

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.
Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.
They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.
Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.
Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.
“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.
He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.
Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.
“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.
He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.
The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.
Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.
In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not  in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?
”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”
In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.
He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.
By: John Bibor
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IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.
Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.
He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”
He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.
He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”
Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”
He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.
“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.
He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”
Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”
He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”
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