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Wike Presents Certificate Of Recognition To Oba Of Ogbaland …Tasks NDDC To Adopt Regional Dev Approach

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Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has presented certificate of recognition and staff of office to the Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland, Dr. Nwachukwu S. Obuoha.
The brief presentation ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Wike said the king was long recognised by the state government, the day he was crowned as Oba of Ogbaland.
He stated that the presentation event was mere ceremony to affirm what has been done.
Wike charged the king to use the opportunity of being the traditional father over Ogbaland to foster unity, promote peace and harmony among his subjects.
The Rivers State governor noted that the throne, while the former King Chukumela Nnam Obi II was alive, commanded honour, respect and candour across Nigeria.
Wike advised the king not to indulge in any act that would bring the throne to disrepute.
The governor also charged the Oba of Ogbaland to dissuade the youths in his domain from any act of violence that would disrupt the peace among the people and threaten economic activities in the area.
Wike recalled the dark episode of December 31, 2017 breaking into 2018, when some youths under the guise of unknown gunmen, killed innocent persons in Omoku, the headquarters of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
Results of some of those criminal activities, Wike said, scared off financial houses, and killed the bustling business climate in Omoku.
Wike warned against any act that would return the area to such situation because the state government had done so much after then to restore peace.
The governor pointed to demands that youths put forward to operators of International Oil Companies (IOCs), and said it should be done in concert with his palace and the state government.
Such synergy, Wike insisted, would ensure that nobody takes the law into their hands, and the demands would be pursued to logical conclusion.
Wike also berated those who have subjected the Eze Ogba stool to litigation and attempting to bring it to disrepute.
The governor assured Eze Obuoha necessary support to ensure that the revered stool is not ridiculed.
In his speech, the Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland, Dr. Nwachukwu S. Obuoha as Obi III, said only God makes kings in Ogbaland, and he was grateful to be on the saddle to serve the land and its people faithfully.
Obuoha thanked Wike for the support given to his family since their father died.
He also acknowledged the astute leadership Wike has provided the state by giving meaning to governance and made its fame to travel across the world.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has advised the new board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to do things differently.
Such difference, Wike maintained should be the adoption of a regional development approach that would strictly commit to the holistic development of Niger Delta states.
Wike gave the charge when the new Chairman of NDDC Governing Board, Mrs. Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie, led other members of the board, on a courtesy visit to him at Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
The governor urged the board to embrace the conceptualisation and implementation of projects like the construction of highways with bridges to link states.
Such projects, he opined, would serve as economic corridors to ease interstate movements and promotion of socio-economic integration within the region.
“I read what you said that things will be done differently. I want to believe that you’re sincere. Sometimes, I feel ashamed where I come from. We talk about underdevelopment, but look at the amount of money that has passed through NDDC, then look at the projects on ground.”
The Rivers State governor said when projects are awarded; they should not be given to portfolio or political contractors, but to competent ones who would stick to delivering quality and enduring projects.
“There is what we call regional development projects that can link up two states, those are the kind of things NDDC should go for, and give it to competent contractors. Leave these political contractors out. Leave all these portfolio contractors out. Leave them alone. You have come to my state, and you have seen what I have done.
“If I didn’t use Julius Berger, and had used these political contractors, you won’t have seen anything here. Of course, you know how expensive Julius Berger is. From 2019 till now, we have done 12 flyovers by Julius Berger. You know how much we are talking about, and you can replicate that. Even though they are expensive, but you’ll see the value.”
Wike envisaged a situation where NDDC could devote huge sums annually, for example, to execute projects in each state of the region without distorting existing development master plan.
The governor said it was shameful to see the unproductive model NDDC had operated, serving as mere cash cow to politicians, and spending about N10billion in futile attempt to rig the 2019 elections in Rivers State.
“NDDC has become a cash cow for politicians. Look at the money NDDC lost in this state just to win election here. N10billion wasted. N10billion you could have used to construct a mega project in the state!”
Wike noted how NDDC, often, entered and awarded projects in states, including Rivers State, without recourse to existing development master plan.
According to him, what turns out eventuallywas duplication of projects.
He pointed to how such practice had contributed to the wastage of trillion of Naira that has passed through NDDC.
He also faulted the use of political contractors who do not have the required competence to deliver quality projects.
This, he regretted, sees the NDDC accepting all kinds of projects nominated to it that include the construction of roads that terminate at the gates of residences of politicians.
The governor noted how NDDC fraudulently claimed to have reconstructed the Chokocho- Igwuruta Road, and signed off the money when, in actual fact, the road was reconstructed and delivered by his administration.
Wike also demanded that NDDC pay up its partnership and contractual obligation of N2.5billion, which was half of the N5billion mutually agreed between it and the Rivers State Government for the reconstruction of the dualised Eastern By-pass Road leading to NDDC Headquarters.
The governor said NDDC had entered into similar agreement for the construction of the Mother and Child Hospital, collected the money paid by the Rivers State Government, and refused to pay up theirs.
He said his administration eventually jettisoned the agreement, funded and completed the construction of the hospital.
In her address, the new Chairman of NDDC Governing Board, Mrs. Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie, said they visited to formally introduce themselves to him as the governor of their landlord state.
Onochie noted the remarkable quality of infrastructure delivered by Wike administration that had transformed the entire landscape of Rivers State.
“It has been an exciting moment for all of us here, and particularly myself being that I lived briefly in Port Harcourt before my youth service, and I wedded in Port Harcourt. Then, thereafter, I kept coming back and Port Harcourt was still Port Harcourt.
“But, I have come back now, and I cannot believe my eyes. I can’t recognise anywhere. The development that has taken place in Port Harcourt, let me speak about the one I have seen, is amazing, and it’s brilliant. And I want to thank you.”
She said they came to ask for guidance and seek the governor’s advise on how best the new board could break away from the provision of poor services and projects known for NDDC, and replicate his quality project delivery mantra across the region.
“We are here to ask for your guidance. You have said it, and you have spoken about the poor services that NDDC had been known for. Trillions of Naira had been pumped into this commission, and we have little or nothing to show for it. We are here now, very determined to do things differently.”

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Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf

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Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.

The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP  Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.

CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.

The students, led by  Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.

According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.

The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.

Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.

He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.

Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.

The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.

He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.

CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.

He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.

Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.

The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.

The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.

According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.

The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.

Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.

He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.

CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.

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College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates  For 2027 Polls

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The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.

International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.

Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.

He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.

Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.

He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.

“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.

Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.

Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.

He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.

According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.

Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.

The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.

Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.

By: John Bibor

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Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping

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The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.

Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.

The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.

He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.

Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.

On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.

The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.

Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.

On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.

He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.

The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.

Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.

By; King Onunwor

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