Politics
MoU’s Non-Implementation: RVHA Summons Firm
The Rivers State House of Assembly has summoned management of Port Operator, West African Containers Terminal (WACT) to appear before its committee to answer questions bordering on Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area.
The summon follows a petition presented before the House Committee on Local Contents, Youths and Employment by the Indigenous Contractors of Onne.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Igwe Aforji who disclosed this after meeting with the management of WACT, warned that the Assembly would no longer tolerate the attitude of companies who fail to engage Rivers people in their operations.
Aforji, who is the lawmaker representing Eleme Constituency in the State House of Assembly said the committee also summoned the Onne Community Liaison Officer (CLO) and mandated the company to provide all relevant documents of previous and present MoU’s it signed with indigenous contractors.
He noted that host communities should benefit from businesses operating in their domains and expressed sadness that companies hire hands from other states to occupy positions meant for Rivers people.
“So we want these companies to engage our youths, women, elders and their host communities in what they are doing. Never again would we allow any company to go to Lagos and bring people to work in the position that are meant for Rivers people.
“At this time, Rivers men and women should be ready to take their rightful positions in various companies within and around Rivers State. The State Assembly has sworn an oath to protect lives and property and the lives of every Rivers son and daughter will be protected according to the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Gone are the days when companies take our people for granted. Every host community must benefit from the facilities and businesses that happen within and around their community.”
The lawmaker stated that his meeting with the company reveals that the latter deliberately refuse to engage its host community in their operations.
“After interrogation and their submission. We (the committee) have discovered that no MoU and they deliberately refused to engage the Onne community in the contracting that is happening within the WACT Company.
“So, we have decided as a committee to summon the CLO of the company which they claim they have been relating with to come with documents to prove that they have been engaging Onne sons and daughters in their operations within the free zone.
“As a committee, we have set out 6th November (today) that the CLO appear with the top management of WACT, furnish the committee with details of all contractors from Onne working with WACT,” he said.
But speaking to newsmen, the CLO, Onne, Jima Osaronu said it is not true that WACT has not supported the advancement of Onne community and faulted claims the allegations made against the company by a group of contractors.
Osaronu stated that for over ten years of its operation, WACT has supported the community through the provision of schools, scholarships, youth empowerment, jobs creation and contract opportunities for indigenes.
“The company has done well in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility. In carrying out community development, renovation of schools.
The Onne State School was done by WACT in 2004/2005,” the CLO Stated.
Dennis Naku
The Commission disclosed the figure in its weekly update for week 14 of the second phase of the exercise, which ended on Friday, April 17, 2026.
According to the breakdown, 2,259,288 Nigerians completed their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 1,489,416 finalized their registration physically at designated centres nationwide.
INEC noted that the figures remain preliminary and are subject to further verification and data cleaning processes to ensure accuracy ahead of the consolidation of the national voter register.
With the conclusion of the registration phase, the Commission has now shifted focus to the display of the Register of Voters for Claims and Objections, a statutory stage aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of the voters register.
The display exercise is scheduled to hold from April 29 to May 5, 2026, across designated centres nationwide, providing citizens the opportunity to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
The Commission urged all registered voters from the concluded phase to take advantage of the exercise to confirm the accuracy of their information and assist in identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate registrations, deceased persons, and non-citizens.
INEC explained that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise is being conducted in phases, with the first phase running from August 18 to December 10, 2025, while the second phase commenced on January 5, 2026 and ended on April 17, 2026.
The Commission further stated that the date for the commencement of the third phase will be announced in due course.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, INEC stressed that maintaining a clean and accurate voter register remains central to ensuring free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, informed the journalists that the dialogue was sponsored by the European Union, under the auspices of the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.
According to the veteran media practitioner, the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting.
He explained that the programme is part of a broader five-year intervention designed to support democratic governance and improve the role of the media in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, especially during electioneering.
He described the media as a central role agent with regard to upholding transparency and accountability in the democratic process.
A resource person and Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Mr Taiwo Obe, enjoined journalists to embrace the evolving technology so that they would not be in the backwaters in the practice of the profession.
He advised journalists not to downplay Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their bid to remain relevant in the media environment by being abreast of the changing patterns of news consumption.
The journalism teacher explained that with digital transformation of the media industry, it had become imperative for journalists to constantly upgrade and update their skills, stressing the fundamental place of attitude and self-development and underscored the dynamic nature of media consumption in the digital age, thereby compelling journalists to embrace tools and platforms, but without much reliance on AI.
In his lecture, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Adebola Aderibigbe, advised journalists in Ekiti State to ensure that coverage of the upcoming governorship poll is issue-based rather than dwelling on personalities.
He added that sensationalism should not occupy the front-burner of any discussions concerning the 2026 election, admonishing that sustenance of democracy is anchored on responsible journalism.
”Journalists must prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance in their reports by verifying facts and giving all parties involved in political matters the opportunity to present their views”, he said.
According to the university don, the election will not be defined by personalities, but by issues. ”Let issues be the pivotal ring upon which every discussion should be made. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election”, he added.
“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B, otherwise the report will be skewed to one side and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”, he stressed.