News
Wike, Rare Nigerian Politician, Ariolu Declares
Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Barrister George Ariolu, has expressed delight with Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his unmatched programme and policies that has transformed the local government.
Ariolu described Wike as a man with so much love for his people and mankind.
The Obio/Akpor Council chairman disclosed this in a welcome address to the Rivers State governor and his entourage at the official flag-off of Ikwerre Road, Rumuokwuta and Rumuola junction flyover.
He said while other governors are gathering bounties to sum up their tenures, Wike was still in the business of commissioning completed projects and flagging off new ones, classifying the governor as a rare Nigerian politician.
Speaking further, he explained that Obio/Akpor has the ace, number and figure to determine the next governor of Rivers State.
According to him, Wike remains a Garrison commander and field marshal of grassroots mobilisation in the state.
He assured the governor that as political foot soldiers, members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the local government were intact and waiting for his instructions ahead of 2023 polls.
Ariolu said that his administration would continue to garner support for the leadership of Rivers State Government under the supervision of Governor Nyesom Wike.
He explained that the transformation agenda of the governor has totally urbanised the local government and entire Rivers State, saying that Wike was the only captain capable of piloting the political ship of Rivers State.
He emphaised the enormous social-economic importance of the twelfth flyover to the state and nation at large, stressing that the flyover will ease the movementof people and vehicles from Rivers State to other South-South, South-West states and entire Nigeria.
According to him, the construction of the flyover will reduce traffic grid experienced along the area and curtail the number of man-hour to do business in the city.
He pointed that Wike through his infrastructural development is building the economic base of the state, noting that Rivers State is the economic hub of the entire South-South region.
In an interview with newsmen, Ariolu described the twelfth flyover as timely.
He hinted that it would ease means of doing business in the area.
In his speech, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, warned that anyone, irrespective of political party or affiliation, caught trying to promote insecurity in Rivers State would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The governor who gave the warning at Location Junction, cautioned owners of event centres and hotels against allowing their venues to be used to plan or execute actions that cause insecurity.
He said the government spent a lot of resources and effort to make Rivers State secure and peaceful, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to disrupt the state’s peace.
He urged people of the area to bear with the government during the project period as development of this nature is bound to come with some inconvenience.
Wike appealed to residents to be patient and trust in his administration to continue to better lives through its programmes and policies.
The governor further charged the contractors, Julius Berger to ensure that the project is delivered in record time, noting that excuses will not be accommodated from them.
Wike, who appreciated Julius Berger for the completion of seven flyovers, assured those whose properties were affected in the area that they will get their due compensation, adding that the state government has completed every process relating to the compensation of affected residents.
Performing the flag-off, former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, who flagged off the project, described Wike as a man who stands by his word.
He said Rivers State was enjoying peace as against what is happening in Abuja and other states.
He further stated that the illustration of Wike and Rivers State proves that with good and focused leadership, insecurity can be overcome in the country, pointing that Wike is a leader of truth, equity and fairness.
According to him, “This project when completed will add to the beauty and efficiency of the city. It will certainly help in the accessibility of the various roads in the state”.
Speaking further, he added that Wike has shown clearly that good governance can be achieved through leadership, stressing how he has demonstrated the power of good leadership by delivering worthy projects to the people of Rivers State.
Providing the project description, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dakorinama George-Kelly said the twelveth flyover is 927.5meters long, 80meters shorter than the eleventh flyover, he added that the flyover which will consist of two lanes will have a 17.6 meter width, one meter width median and one meter walkway.
The flyover he said, will change the socio-economic dynamix of the people living around the area and travel time will be reduced.
He added that the construction of the flyover will enhance ease of doing business in the area and it will add more beauty and colour to the state.
For his part, representative of Julius Berger PLC, Tobias Meletschus thanked Wike for the trust and confidence reposed on the contractor to handle such huge project for the state government.
The flag off of the Ikwerre Road, Rumuokwuta and Rumuola flyover bridge was done by former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke…on the invitation of Governor Nyesom Wike.
A Coalition of civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards addressing the persistent gas eruptions in Bille, Rivers.
The coalition, made up of the People’s Assembly and Bille Working Group, made the call in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, and read to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Reading the letter, the coalition’s convener, Dr Isaac Osuoka, said that the persistent gas eruption in Bille had led to serious environmental and public health challenges.
Osuoka, also the Executive Director, Social Action, urged Tinubu to establish a presidential task force to investigate and contain the gas leak in Bille.
He also called for the immediate relocation of residents to safe shelters, provision of clean water, food and healthcare services.
Dr Emem Okon, the Executive Director, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, stated that gas had been bubbling from the ground, creeks, boreholes and hand-dug wells in the community since October 2025.
Okon said that the gas had triggered several fires and explosions, and that residents of the community had reported respiratory problems, vomiting and other illnesses associated with exposure to the emissions.
According to her, preliminary investigations by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have yet to identify the source of the gas.
Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, the Coordinator, Oilwatch International, called for the publication of results from preliminary soil and water tests conducted in Bille for the residents to know the nature and extent of the contamination.
Ebiaridor urged the Federal Government to deploy medical teams to screen and treat affected residents, and immediately commence an independent study on the health impacts of the leak.
He further called for the suspension of oil and gas operations around OML 18 and 24 until the source of the gas leak was identified and the affected areas declared safe.
Ebiaridor urged the government to hold current and former operators of the oil leases accountable for environmental damage on the community.
Another speaker, Dr Bieye Briggs, urged the National Assembly to fast-track the NOSDRA Amendment Bill, 2025 to provide the agency with statutory funding and stronger enforcement powers.
Briggs urged the Federal Government to activate the regional Spill Command Centre, and make the Upstream Remediation Fund accessible for the Bille crisis and other affected communities in the Niger Delta.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has banned drone operations and fireworks in Uyo and announced temporary traffic restrictions ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the State today.
The state Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, announced the measures yesterday while briefing journalists at the Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
He said the restrictions were part of security arrangements to maintain public order, protect strategic locations and ensure the smooth movement of the President’s convoy during his engagements.
“There will be total restriction on the operation and flying of drones within Uyo metropolis throughout the period of the visit. Members of the public, drone operators and service providers are advised to strictly comply with the directive,” he said.
The police commissioner also announced a ban on fireworks, knockouts and other explosive sound-producing devices within the state capital during the visit.
He said the measure would prevent panic and allow security personnel to respond effectively to genuine security threats.
The command also announced temporary restrictions on public access to designated routes and locations in Uyo to facilitate the movement of the presidential convoy.
The affected areas are Airport Road, Shelter Afrique Junction, Oron Road, Nung Oku Junction, Mbierebe Junction and Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
“Motorists are urged to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the corridors.
“Members of the public are advised to avoid the routes during the restriction and use alternative routes,” Azare said.
He also urged residents to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the affected corridors.
The commissioner said the command, working with other security agencies, had put in place security arrangements to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free visit.
He appealed to residents to understand that the temporary restrictions were necessary security measures and not intended to cause hardship.
Azare urged members of the public to remain law-abiding, avoid restricted areas and report suspicious movements to the nearest police station or through police emergency channels.
Tinubu’s visit to Akwa Ibom is a working visit during which he is expected to inaugurate major infrastructure projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration under its ARISE Agenda. The projects cut across aviation, road infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, land administration and security.
Among the projects scheduled for inauguration are the international terminal building and airport hospital at Victor Attah International Airport, Aviation Village, ARISE Palm Resort, the 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road, Ring Road 3, the Command and Control Centre and the AkwaGIS building.
The state government had earlier announced plans for the President to inaugurate projects as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary in September.
The airport projects are particularly significant to the state’s ambition to expand aviation, tourism and investment.
The international terminal is expected to strengthen the airport’s capacity to handle international operations, while the Aviation Village is intended to provide accommodation for aviation workers. The airport hospital is also among the facilities lined up for inauguration.
The road projects are also expected to improve connectivity. The 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road links communities in the two local government areas, while Ring Road 3 is designed to improve movement within Uyo and ease pressure on existing roads. The Command and Control Centre, meanwhile, is intended to strengthen security surveillance and coordination in the State.
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
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