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Group Raises Alarm Over Insecurity In N’Delta …As Diri Flays Attack On Justice Mary Odili
The Niger Delta Self Determination Movement (NDSDM) has written to the Chairman, South-South Governors’ Forum and Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, over alleged threat to the security of South-South states.
In a letter by its Convener, Annikio Briggs, NDSDM, said it has “watched with trepidation, the deteriorating situation across the country and with special emphasis as to how that impacts our dear Niger Delta.”
According to her, reports are rife over killer herdsmen attacking peaceful communities and these attacks have continued unabated because security agents have looked the other way, and sometimes, overwhelmed by the attacks.
“The NDSDM, in all sincerity can no longer trust the established security agencies to protect our people as they have shown a high level of complicity, and sometimes, outright connivance with killer herdsmen to attack, kill, kidnap, rape, molest and terrorise our people. What is true of Delta is true of all the South-South states. There is absolutely no state in the South-South that is immune from rampaging and ravaging killer herdsmen and the security breach they bring with them”, the letter stated.
Briggs made an appeal to Okowa to use his good offices to convene a South-South Security Summit so that the people of the region can agree on a regional security network that would aid the “overstretched established security agencies in combating the unacceptable level of insecurity across the Niger Delta”.
However, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has affirmed his readiness and total commitment to the Ijaw cause and interest, saying he would defend the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Nigerian federation.
Diri vowed that the Ijaws, who are domiciled in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Akwa Ibom states, the fourth largest ethnic group in the country, would not play second fiddle to any tribe.
A press release by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quotes the governor as having made the statement during a meeting with the Ijaw Leaders Consultative Forum in Government House, Yenagoa.
Diri, who was the pioneer organising secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), hinted that, as governor of the only homogeneous Ijaw state, he would not relent in spearheading and championing the Ijaw cause or interest.
The governor also called for unity of purpose among all the Ijaw-speaking people to ensure that the Ijaws in the Niger Delta were not relegated to the background.
“For us to continue to improve the lives of our people we must have unity of purpose, we must be united as Ijaw people, and shouldn’t be seen to be pulling down ourselves.”
He disclosed that the meeting was convened to enable him interact with the group as they were part of the struggle that led to the creation of Bayelsa State by late Gen Sani Abacha in 1996.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has condemned the recent attack on the justices of the Supreme Court, especially the attack on Justice Mary Odili, in the discharge of their constitutional duties.
Diri, in his maiden state-wide broadcast, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for not yielding to pressure to interfere with the legal processes that saw to his emergence.
“We strongly condemn the sponsored attacks on the Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, particularly the attack on Hon. Justice Mary Odili, in the discharge of their constitutional duties.
“In our view this, this is a serious consecration of a sacred national institution such as the judiciary,” he stated.
He saluted Justices of the Supreme Court for the display of courage in their quest to uphold democratic principles, and gave kudos to his legal team for putting up a sterling performance.
Diri also called on all stakeholders in the state to join hands with his administration to address the challenges facing Bayelsa State.
“There may be those who think that some things could have been done better or even differently. As humans we remain fallible. Let us put our differences behind us. We, therefore, extend our hands of fellowship to all stakeholders and progressive minded individuals to join hands with us to consolidate the building of the Bayelsa of our dream.”
According to him, his administration was poised to offer renewed hope to the people of the state towards improving their welfare and well-being.
He contended that victory in a political contest should not be seen as an end in itself but as a means to foster peace, stability and development in all spheres.
A statement by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as stressing the need to make life more meaningful by creating an enabling environment that would engender economic activities and provide employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the state.
The governor noted that his administration acknowledges the outstanding issues arising from the implementation of his predecessor’s policies, which he was a part of, but expressed his determination to accommodate fresh perspectives for the good of Bayelsa.
Diri said, “We recognize that there are outstanding issues from the implementation of the Restoration Agenda, of which I am a principal proponent and participant.
“As in every family, there will always be reasons to disagree. There may be those who feel that some things could have been done better or differently. As humans, we remain fallible.
“Let us put past grievances behind us. Let us appreciate that governance is a continuum, and as the dynamics change, we will accommodate fresh perspectives. The important thing is to continue to find reason to agree and work together for the good of Bayelsa.”
By: Dennis Naku
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.