Politics
RVHA Approves N510bn For 2018
The passage of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, including four other bills dominated last week’s proceedings at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
At plenary last Tuesday, all 14 of the sub-House Committees that conducted sittings and hearings of budget proposal defence wound down, as they took turns to present their reports.
Shortly after the report were presented, the House went into debate over the appropriation bill and four other bills. The first bill that got the approval of the House was Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic amendment bill of 2017.
The State Appropriation Bill of 2018 trailed as N510 billion was approved for the state government as budget. This included capital expenditure of N379 billion and recurrent expenditure of N132 billion.
The Local Government Repeal and Re-enactment Bill of 2018 including the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and (HAIO) 2018 was also passed into law.
According to the lawmakers, bill aims to align the proposed new law with the Electoral Acts of the country, which provides for the tenure of RSIEC members, time for conduct of election and other electoral matters for the smooth and transparent elections.
When the House reconvened on Wednesday, three bills were slated to be do debated upon. The Rivers State Waterways Management Authority Bill of 2017 topped the list of legislations for passage. Before the passage of the bill however, the lawmakers screened five members of RSIEC as requested by the governor.
The governor had last Tuesday sought the approval of the House to disengage five members of the State Electoral Commission, and the screening and confirmation, last Thursday was to fill the vacant positions. Only the chairman of the electoral body was retained.
The House screened and confirmed the nominees on Wednesday and thereafter proceeded to the major matters of the day. Among bills given consideration last Wednesday were the Rivers State Waterways Bill, the amendment of the Rivers State Secret Cult Law of 2004, and the Rivers State Kidnap Prohibition Amendment Bill No 2 2018.
The Majority Leader of the House, Hon Martins Amaewhule threw light on the two bills, when he argued that the time has come for the law to be stringent and heavy over those that have caused mayhem in the state.
In the words of Amaewhule: “The bill is proposing that by Section 2, those who sponsor these groups should have 21 years imprisonment”.
Many legislators had argued in favour of the amendment but Hon. Friday Nkece opined that: ” no government will fold its arms as citizens kill and main their fellow citizens. In my constituency, five villages were sacked and I, having experienced that nightmare will align myself to the bill. Khana has suffered so much in the hands of cultists”.
The speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani referred the bills to the House Committee headed by Hon. Amaewhule for hearing. The State Neighbourhood Safety Corp bill was also referred to committee.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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