Politics
Akawor Wants LG Chairmen To Emulate Wike
The Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Rivers State, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, has charged Local Council chairmen in the state to use the development model set by Governor Nyesom Wike in the state as template for the development of their various local government areas.
Speaking while commissioning the Remodelled Gokana Council Secretariat at Kpor, headquarters of the local government area recently, the PDP Chairman told them that securing second term ticket was a function of their performance in office.
The former Ambassador to South Korea who commended the Gokana council boss for remodelling the council secretariat to world class standard, recalled a bitter experience he had with the old structure during his trip to Gokana as Chairman of the Covid 19 Parliatives committee in the state.
“When l came to Kpor as chairman of the Parliatives Committee, I had the call of nature and was asked to be taken to the Chairman ‘s office. I had the terrible experience of my life managing myself from here back to Port Harcourt with the luggage inside my stomach. But for me to come here today to see the same structure looking like Zenith Bank, l can say that it is only God that can do this.
“Wherever I go, I always say one thing, that it is difficult for lion to produce a lizard. There is a wave of change in this state. God has given us a Governor that has decided to set a standard of which no chairman has any alternative but to key in. For all the chairmen, especially the crop of chairmen we have now, they actually know what it took them to emerge as chairman. They passed through the crucible and that is why virtually in every local government there is one performance or the other”.
While describing what was happening at the local government level as delivery of dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots, the former Minister of FCT urged local government chairmen to always strive to bring development to their areas, saying that everything cannot be done by the state government.
“The local government as the third tier of government has its own portion of the dividends of democracy to deliver”.
Ambassador Akawor who said unlike the APC, the PDP government in the state had delivered on its electioneering campaign promises, describing the APC as a special purpose vehicles used to remove former President Goodluck Jonathan from office.
He noted that the Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono road which they promised in their campaigns to do and failed is currently being handled by Governor Nyesom Wike while the Bodo-Bonny road is being done by the Nigerian Liquifued Natural Gas, NLNG alone.
He also told the people how the APC-led Federal Government was playing politics with the Ogoni clean up and the Electoral amendment bill.
“We all saw what is happening now with the electoral bill. What is going on with a party that is in charge at the National Assembly. They took a decision and sent it to their President to sign, and after many months the date caught up with him and he refused to sign it and Nigerians are saying this is not what we wanted. There is no promise they have made that they have kept”.
He encouraged Nigerians, particularly the people of Gokana to stand with the party in whom they had absolute confidence that it would fulfill its promises to them, adding that in 2023 all Nigerians have a date with destiny.
The State PDP Chairman also praised Gokana sons serving in Governor Wike’s administration for their loyalty and support as well as the people of Gokana for believing in the PDP.
Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area, Confidence Dekoo, said he decided to embark on the project to give the council a befitting secretariat.
He thanked the state PDP Chairman , Ambassador Desmond Akawor, for coming to perform the commissioning ceremony and assured him that his tenure would witness a boom in project execution in the local government area.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
-
News3 days agoRSG Targets Nine Million Residents in Mosquito Net Distribution Campaign
-
Oil & Energy3 days agoAiyedatiwa Signs New Electricity Bill
-
Maritime3 days agoMarine Minister Commends President Tinubu On NPERA Bill Assent
-
Oil & Energy3 days agoNLNG Commissions Research And Innovation Centre In RSU
-
News3 days agoKenPoly Holds Eight Convocations, August 29
-
News3 days agoRSG Begins Another Phase of Projects Commissioning Today
-
News3 days agoRMAFC Completes Revenue Sharing Review, Proposes New Pay
-
Maritime3 days agoNAGAFF Petitions IGP Over Alleged Maritime Police Harassment