News
President’s Victory End To Ethnic Politics
A cross section of Nigerians have hailed the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential elections, saying it represents a new dawn in the political evolution of Nigeria.
Reacting to the victory in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the stakeholders said the victory of Jonathan at the polls signalled the end of ethnic politics in the country.
Last Monday, the Attaihuri Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Jonathan as the winner of the presidential elections with 22,495,187 votes, while his closest rival, Mohammadu Buhari polled 12, 214, 853 votes.
Declaring Jonathan the winner, Jega said the PDP presidential candidate won 25 per cent in 31 states plus the FCT seven states more than the mandatory constitutional requirement of 24 states, while Buhari scored 25 per cent in 16 states and the FCT.
Excited over the victory, Senator George Thompson Sekibo representing, Rivers East Senatorial district at the National Assembly said the election of President Jonathan represents the determination of Nigerians to put an end to ethnic politics and support for any leader that will deliver democratic dividence that would promote their well being.
Senator Sekibo, who was re-elected, said Jonathan receiving more than 25 per cent of the votes in 31 states and FCT shows that Nigerians have kept their promise to elect a humble committed and detribalised leader.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Development and Support Initiatives (CEPS), Mrs Mina Ogbanaga attributed the success story of Jonathan at the polls to hardwork and determination .
Also speaking, the Secretary of Rivers State Female Aspirants Forum, Mrs Asele Abigo Tshuinza, said that the victory has shown that there is no more minorities in Nigeria.
“There is always a time when God directly intervenes in the affairs of men. I believe that this time, God has heard the cries of the minorities and has decided to choose a son to lead and transform Nigeria, West declared.
The former Director-General, State Security Service (SSS), Chief Albert K. Horsfall while commending the transparency of the conduct of the Saturday’s presidential election in the country, said the process and subsequent declaration of the results has rekindled hope that the democracy has come to stay.
The former SSS boss who is also the chairman of the Social Rehabilitation Committee in Rivers State also commended the youths of the Niger Delta for not retaliating the violence that occurred in some parts of the northern states, adding that this has shown that they embraced the amnesty programme of the federal government.
Former ACN leader in the state, Prince Tonye Princewill said Nigerians voted for Goodluck Jonathan because of his personality and his commitment in the past 10 months to restore the lost glory of Nigeria.
Princewill said the election of Jonathan was not the wide acceptance of the PDP but the peoples appreciation for his transparency in the system even as he condemned the post-election violence that erupted in some parts of the north.
The traditional ruler, Eze Ekpeye Logbo, Eze Robinson O. Robinson and NULGE, Rivers State Chapter Chairman, Barr. Franklin Ajinwo agreed that Jonathan’s victory was well-deserved.
“President Jonathan has shown within the short period he has been in office that he is equal to the task of governing our great nation. Under him, there has been improvement of power from what it used to be; perennial fuel scarcity is now history as the long queues at filling stations have disappeared for good, workers welfare have been improved upon. And we can all see his humility and sincerity of purpose so he deserves to win for him to do more for the nation,” the Ekpeye monarch said.
Eze Robinson, a former Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers however thanked their counterparts in the North for the rallying support for Jonathan at the election, describing it as unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
Ajinwo, said Jonathan’s victory was not unexpected, going by his track- record within his relatively short stay in office as president and advised him to double his efforts at recording more achievements for the country.
He challenged Jonathan to rise to the challenge of revamping the economy especially in the power sector as well as ensuring that members of his new cabinet are those who truly believe in his vision of a great Nigeria
He also made case for industrial development of the country as well as the need to ensure the automony of local government
Let him ensure that he boosts the industrial development of this country by tackling the power sector. It is not an impossible thing for Nigeria to have steady electricity.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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