News
Rivers United For Wike And Development: It’s Wike Or Wike
An editor friend of mine called me yesterday and asked what is this “Operation Kick Out Wike” that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said he would execute between Monday and Thursday of election week? I simply told him that the financially induced activity would be of no consequence. It is an exercise in futility. A choreographed failed act of political “notice me” from a powerless war monger.
This is the last kick of a dying horse. Even a five year old knows that since 2014, Amaechi and his associates have worked day and night to kick out Wike. They have deployed all means, including shedding innocent Rivers blood, but they have failed every step of the way.
They used SARs horribly to intimidate, kill, maim and snatch results, but Rivers people stood their ground. They declared, it is Wike or Wike.
They instituted several propaganda methods, buying front pages of countless newspapers, but Rivers people declared overwhelmingly, it is Wike or Wike.
During the rerun legislative elections, about 25 seats of the Rivers State House of Assembly were up for grabs. Amaechi told the world that he would collect all the seats and impeach Governor Wike using the State House of Assembly.
The failed APC Federal Government released over 70, 000 security personnel to the Minister of Transportation. He operated like a Garrison Commander. The security forces released fighter jets, fighter helicopters, war vessels , dogs and horses for the forceful acquisition of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Before the rerun elections, the security agencies engaged on a daily show of force to intimidate the people. Rivers people watched, but they were not intimidated.
The rerun elections came. The soldiers, SARs, Air Force and other security forces attacked polling units, collation centres and arrested countles PDP leaders. As they did, more people sprang up to defend their votes and constituencies.
At the end of the day, Rivers State triumphed. The people insisted that they preferred Governor Wike and the PDP. The House of Assembly was secured by the people, in the interest of Rivers State.
Since 2015, Amaechi has made elections a profit revolving scheme. An avenue to enrich himself by tricking the Federal Government and the NDDC to release billions to him to kick out Wike. While Amaechi smiled to the bank, all the schemes met with failure. This latest scheme will fail like the others.
This latest scheme by Amaechi and his partners-in-crime is not targeted at any elections, but a scheme to instigate widespread violence to disrupt the elections.
The 58 Governorship Candidates who re-affirmed their endorsement of Governor Wike mentioned the plot by the APC and their associates to disrupt elections through violence.
They said: “We are not in support of the evil that INEC is conniving with APC to disrupt the Governorship/ State Assembly elections on March 9. The APC knowing they are not on the ballot , plan to perpetrate evil and ensure that elections don’t hold”.
If Amaechi and his treacherous associates want to test their popularity, they should meet the PDP at the polling units on Saturday March 9, 2019. Anything short of that is simply an attempt to disorganise the security framework of the state for the reasons stated above.
There are 3,215,273 registered voters in Rivers State, according to INEC. The onus is on Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, his associates in the embattled APC and any other party they have chosen to support to canvass for votes.
Governor Wike has campaigned in all the 23 Local Government Areas , selling himself and the PDP. He has met with different socio-cultural groups, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations and religious bodies. He has discussed his programmes with the non-indigenes. In all these engagements, the people have spoken with one voice that it is Wike they prefer.
In all the 4442 polling units of Rivers State, unit leaders and members of the PDP have canvassed for votes. Governor Wike has unit liaison officers across the state who have been empowered through employment to work for the development of the state. There is an interface with a sections of the state. The pulse of Wike’s government is felt at the grassroots. This has never been the case.
Governor Wike started his journey to a second term from May 29, 2015. He resumed office prepared and launched the Operation Zero Potholes in Port Harcourt minutes after his administration was inaugurated. Since then, he has delivered projects across the 23 Local Government Areas, changing the developmental narrative of the state. He has weathered the storm, defending the interests of Rivers State every step of the way. He has stood with the people and remained their voice.
For Wike, it has always been Rivers first. He has never betrayed the state. Despite the economic trap set by Amaechi who prophesied that Wike will not do projects or pay salaries because of the precarious economic conditions he left the state, Wike has made Rivers State the envy of all states.
It is not by chance that the APC or their cornered affiliates have no developmental accusations against Governor Wike. The performing Governor has silenced his critics with outstanding projects delivery, promoting selfless governance. He has made good governance a way of life in Rivers State. Seamlessly, pro-people projects are rolled out for the people.
Like it is stated in the Bible, surely the anti-Rivers agents will gather. But they will always fail because God has ordained Governor Wike to lift Rivers State from the doldrums of under-development. According to Isaiah 54:15 : “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake”.
The sponsored protests will be of no value, other than to help the embattled Minister canvass for appointments. It is nothing more than a cry of a diminished politician, craving for attention.
Like Governor Wike advised, Rivers APC and their leaders should wait for 2023. The decision for 2019 has been made. The people are with Governor Wike and they will confirm by re-electing him on March 9.
A few politicians promoting an anti-Rivers agenda will not alter the will of the people. Those who have illicit resources deployed to create crisis will not succeed because the people have their eyes on the ball. They will re-elect Governor Wike. They will defend their votes and they will defeat any manipulator who tries to rig the process.
Rivers people are United for development. No intimidation will suffice. Rivers people are United for the re-election of Governor Wike. This is about the people. Power belongs to God and God uses the people to elect leaders at every given time. As they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God. And Rivers people have declared: it’s Wike or Wike.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media.
Simeon Nwakaudu
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.