News
Idoma Lawyers Write IGP Over NSCDC Officer’s Death
The Association of Idoma Lawyers in Nigeria has issued a petition to Inspector General of Police, IGP, Haruna Mohammed, over the alleged killing of Ogah Jumbo, an Assistant Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
Our correspondent reports that OgahJombo, was allegedly killed on Wednesday in the presence of his wife and children, when he was stopped by policemen for alleged violation of traffic regulation.
The police command, in response, said it has taken into custody two of its officers, who allegedly killed the NSCDC personnel.
However, the FPRO, Frank Mba, in a statement, claimed that the NSCDC officer slumped at the police station, which led to his death.
But, seeking justice for the deceased, Idoma lawyers in a statement by signed by its patron, Chief Godwin Obla SAN and forwarded to DAILY POST, warned the IGP to take into consideration the evidences of videos and pictures on social media fingering its officers in passing out judgement unless be sued in court.
The lawyers warned that in “event of any cover or foot-dragging in the persecution of this heinous and clear case of wanton culpable homicide, the association will spare no efforts at exploring the alternative persecution available under the criminal laws of the FCT.”
They added that the two policemen in whatever circumstance had no right to allegedly assault a citizen rather be issued a fine.
The statement read: “We have taken pains to recount the above details to you in response to and in clarification to the unsuspecting public, the shocking cavalier and misleading exculpatory press briefing held on Thursday, the 21st if March 2019, on behalf of the Force in which the Force Public Relations Office, Frank Mbah was quoted as saying that the force was not responsible for the death of the deceased NSCDC officer, Ogah Jumbo.
“While the force PRO can choose to interpret the demand of his job description only for the narrow prism of protecting the image of the force at all cost and to any extent even at the expense of values of humanity and sanctity of live, however, to do so in the face of contrary hard facts of verifiable eye-witness accounts and video recordings of the incident is counterproductive to the very essence of the very ends of good image sought to be achieved by that office.
“For whatever it may be worth, assuming the deceased officer was indeed guilty of the alleged violation of the road traffic regulation, would that fact in itself be enough to constitute the officers of the Nigeria Police Force into a murderous two-man gang of assassins for an alleged offence of interaction of Road Traffic Regulation that carries no more than penalty or fines?
“Against the above backdrop of the factual accounts, should the inspector General of Police be convinced to dispassionately take appropriate steps to prosecute the officers involved in the murderous outlawry, we wish to suggest that the farce go to whole hog of objective test of justice delivery by not allowing itself to prosecute a case where it is also the accused, for to do so will fall short of the objective parameters of judgement delivery from the perspective of a reasonable man
“The association shall be willing to offer free prosecutorial services from its crops of competent lawyers including services of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, in this regard to the farce.
“Furthermore, the Association, consistent with the pursuit of objective parameters of justice delivery, wishes to strongly suggest, and indicate its interest to be mutually involved in, a post-mortem examination of the cause of death of the deceased.
“These indication and suggestion should not be understood to mean our lack of confidence in the police authority to carry out a dispassionate work in this regard, but as stated above, only towards achieving the pursuit of the whole hog of objective parameters of justice delivery.
“Otherwise in the event of any cover or foot-dragging in the persecution of this heinous and clear case of wanton culpable homicide, the association will spare no efforts at exploring the alternative persecution available under the criminal laws of the FCT.
News
Ibas Inaugurates RSIEC, Service Commissions, Healthcare Board In Rivers …Charges Appointees To Embrace Principles Of Service

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has charged newly appointed Board members to uphold the highest standards of discipline, competence, integrity, and unwavering dedication in their service to the State.
He emphasized that such commitment is critical to stabilizing governance, restoring democratic institutions, and advancing the principles of good governance in the State.
This was contained in a statement by the Administrator’s Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo on Monday.
Ibas issued the charge on Monday while inaugurating the reconstituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, and the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board at Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Administrator urged the new appointees to embrace their roles with diligence, patriotism, and a commitment to transforming Rivers State through excellent service.
Addressing the Chairman and members of RSIEC, Ibas underscored their pivotal role in ensuring credible local government elections that reflect the will of the people.
“Your task is clear but demanding: to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible elections at the grassroots level. You must resist bias, favoritism, and external interference while restoring public confidence in the electoral process,” he stated.
“The independence of your actions is crucial to sustaining peace, stability, and grassroots governance. I urge you to act with fairness, impartiality, and professionalism—even in the face of difficult choices,” Ibas added.
The Sole Administrator also charged the Rivers State Civil Service Commission on the need to eliminate mediocrity and foster a culture of excellence through merit-based recruitment, training, and promotions.
“The civil service must transition from favoritism to competence, integrity, and accountability. Your commission will lead reforms, including digital transformation and standardized practices across ministries, departments, and agencies,” he said.
He disclosed that extensive training programmes are underway, with a committee set up to overhaul the public service framework for greater efficiency.
Meanwhile, Ibas urged the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission to ensure professionalism and discipline in local government administration.
“As the closest tier of government to the people, you must drive reforms that insulate the system from politics and mediocrity. Your mandate includes merit-based recruitment, training, and enforcing standards for effective service delivery,” he stated.
In the same vein, the Administrator charged the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board with revitalizing healthcare delivery across the state’s 23 local government areas.
“Primary healthcare is the foundation of a sustainable health system. Your board must ensure facilities are adequately staffed, equipped, and operational focusing on maternal health, immunization, malaria control, and community health services,” he said.
He emphasized data-driven operations, incentives for rural health workers, and restoring the referral system to improve healthcare access.
He also assured the Board of sustained government support, including funding, for the effective discharge of their mandates but warned that board members would be held accountable for their performance.
The newly inaugurated members include: RSIEC: Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey (Chairman) with Prof. Arthur Nwafor, Prof. Joyce Akaninwor, and others as members.
Civil Service Commission: Dr. Livinus Bariki (Chairman), Amb. Lot Egopija, Mrs. Maeve Bestman, and others.
Local Govt. Service Commission: Mr. Isreal Amadi (Chairman), Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ofik (Rtd), Dr. Tonye Pepple, and others.
Primary Health Care Board: Dr. Dawari George (Chairman), Dr. Chituru Adiele (Executive Director), Prof. Kaladada Korubo, and representatives from key ministries.
News
Rivers PDP Debunks Sale Of LGA Election Forms

The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Dr. Kenneth Yowika, has debunked claims that the party has commenced sale of forms for chairmanship and councillorship elections across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Yowika made the rebuttal in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, describing the publication on the social media as baseless and untrue.
He urged members of the PDP to disregard the claim, saying that official communication regarding the sale of forms would be disclosed through the appropriate channels.
“With reference to information trending on social media, it has been falsely claimed that the sale of forms for Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State will begin soon.
“However, the party has firmly denied these rumours, stating that they are baseless and untrue.
“The party has its own established methods of reaching out to its numerous supporters.
“The People’s Democratic Party, a law-abiding organisation, will patiently await the release of guidelines from the recently inaugurated Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) before considering any sale of election forms.
“The PDP is urging its members to remain calm as official communication regarding the sale of forms will be disclosed through appropriate channels,” the statement read.
Enoch Epelle
News
South-South contributes N34trn to Nigeria’s economy in 2024 – Institute
Prof. Pius Olanrewaju, President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has stated that the South-South region contributes N34 trillion to country’s economy in 2024.
He made the remark at the South-South Zonal Banking and Finance Conference in Calabar, yesterday.
He spoke on the theme, ‘’Building An Inclusive South-South: Economic Diversification as a Catalyst For Development.’’
Olanrewaju, who quoted the data from the Cable Data Index, said the feat was more than 21 per cent of Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The president described the growth as ‘’ impressive,’’ saying that it was not driven by oil alone but significant expansions in trade, services, and the creative industries.
According to him, to fully harness this potential, coordinated financial, technological, and policy support is essential.
“As we work to reposition the South-South for broad-based prosperity, the financial system must play a central role, not merely as a source of capital, but as a catalyst for innovation, ideas incubation, and inclusive economic growth.
“This conference, therefore, provides a strategic opportunity for stakeholders to reimagine the South-South economy, not merely as a resource belt, but as a region of diverse capabilities and resilient enterprises.”
Olanrewaju added that Nigeria must move beyond old models and chart a new course for the development of the South-South region, where financial institutions and stakeholder collaborate to diversify the economy for shared prosperity.
He, however, commended Gov. Bassey Otu for his pledge of land for CIBN Secretariat in Cross River and being the first sitting governor to willingly undergo and complete the Chartered Bankers Programme.
On his part, Gov. Otu said that the conference discussion on the economic diversification in South-South region was timely against the backdrop of global trade and economic volatility that was affecting the nation’s economy.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Peter Odey, Otu said the South-South region must now act with urgency to diversify its economy while leveraging its shared natural endowment in agriculture and extractive resources.
“This conference must help develop tailored financial solutions that reflect the unique strengths and realities of states like Cross River in the south-south.
“Diversification should be evidence-based and must be backed not just by financial advice but project focused financing and real investment support,” he noted.
He said that Cross River had taken the bold step to invest in its agricultural sector by launching an Agro processing hub.
Otu further said that the state had invested in aviation by acquiring more aircrafts for Cally Air, construction of the Bakassi Deep Seaport and injecting N18 billion in its tourism sector.
Similarly, Mr Tolefe Jibunoh, Cross River Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that the region was blessed with natural resources, cultural diversities and immense human potentials.
Jibunoh, who was represented by Mr Segun Shittu, Head, Currency Control Office, CBN, Calabar, noted that strategic diversification could unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth in the region.
He added that the CBN remained steadfast to maintain monetary possibilities and promote a sound financial system as a catalyst for sustainable economic development for the benefit of all.
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