Politics
Amaechi Inspects Road Projects
Governor Chibuike
Amaechi commenced last week with projects inspection. On Sunday, he visited the Ogoni/Andoni/Opobo Unity Road where he disclosed that the State Government has released the sum of N1 billion to fasten the pace of work.
He said, “ we have disbursed one billion naria to the contractors to facilitate job on the road. The one billion naira was from the N30 billion we accessed from the savings, and we hope that the contractors will increase the pace of work”.
The governor though said the pace of work was slow due to funding, went on to state that Opobo Town was 6 kilometres from the last bridge that will link Kalaibiama, but with the release of N1 billion, he assured that work would go as expected.
The governor also received students of the University of Port Harcourt who came tops at the just concluded Nigeria University Games (NUGA), and assured them of government support.
He went straight to the state House of Assembly, where he delivered “State of the Nation address.” He argued that the nation’s centenary celebrations was a waste of fund considering the current state of affairs in the country.
Amaechi observed, “sadly as leaders, we must admit the truth which stares us in the face. It is the fact that our country is drifting perceptibly into dangerous waterfall”.
Citing a recent poll conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor said, “60 per cent of those polled worried that the current federal administration is doing bad job of fighting corruption, while an overwhelming number wanted to see government address the employment gap by creating more jobs and reducing poverty”.
The governor further emphasised, that, “a country is not simply judged by how long its democratic structures have been up, but by the very substance of those structures and what they represent in the eyes of its people”.
On Tuesday, Governor Amaechi played host to the prelate of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Dr Aruba Onyeneolu at Government House. Speaking through his deputy, Engr Tele Ikuru, the governor said the church remains the foundation of his administration, hence the government has always looked to God during the time of adversity.
Amaechi insisted that, “God is the determinat of all we have done and the next we will do before we leave office”.
On Wednesday after the weekly state Executive Council meeting, Rt Hon Amaechi took time off to inspect some ongoing projects in the state. After visiting the ongoing Peter Odili, Woji-Akpajo Link Road, he also inspected the ongoing Elioparanwo Road.
At Elioparanwo Road, he said government will leave no abandoned project, while promising to prioritise on delivering state infrastructure. “I’am paid to do this job I’am employed by Rivers people, so I’am bound to deliver. The responsibility of a governor is to deliver on infrastructure, the lives and wellbeing of the citizens and ensure that they have security”.
Also within the week, the governor, paid condolence visit to the family of late Patrick Gbaraba.
He said the late Patrick Gbaraba was a nice gentleman who believed in God and his visit to the bereaved family was to identify, honour and sympathise with them on behalf of his family and the good people of Rivers State.
On Wenesday, the governor played host to House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster. The committee led by Rt Hon Ifedayo Abegunde from Ondo State, was in the state to ascertain the level of damage from last year’s Mile 1 Market fire.
Calling on the committee to carry out its duties judiciously, Rt Hon Amaechi remarked, “I must say that, at different occasions, you have risen to defenc democracy. You have a big assignment, the assignment is not natural but also man made disasters.”
A group, ‘Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF),’ has intensified calls on the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The CBSF which comprises members of various political parties, non-partisan citizens and residents of the state also has non-indigenes and people from different religious organisations as members.
Speaking at a world press conference held in Yenagoa, the State capital on Tuesday, the group, through its convener who doubles as Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media/Public Affairs, Snr. Comrade Wisdom Ikuli, passed a confidence vote on Governor Diri, commending his selfless service to the State and the Ijaw nation.
Mr Ikuli averred that there was need for the state to align with the federal government. Citing the benefits of having a government at the centre that can attract development to the state, he noted that the PDP at the national level had been long enmeshed in crisis.
“The current leadership of the PDP under whose platform the governor is leading the state has been hijacked by few individuals. This poses threats to the interest of the state.
“Presently, our state is standing alone as the only PDP state in the whole of the South South region. The above may not be too much an issue. The greatest challenge here is the hijack of the PDP by few individuals and the very dangerous traps that they have set for Bayelsa in 2027, particularly those that intend to fly the flag of PDP.
“There are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in PDP at different levels to work to nullify the nomination of all candidates that will emerge under the party platform. So, we can imagine the pains, agony and disarray that the state shall experience if the state remains in PDP.
“The ongoing Coalition is also an embodiment of people who conspired to deny Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation, a second term at the Presidency in 2015. Thus, the coalition can never be an option.
“ It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show southern solidarity with other southern governors who are with Mr. President”, the group said.
“But as we move forward, one of the greatest priorities in the alliance with the centre should be the actualisation of the Agge Seaport that will help to boost the state economy and also bring about unimaginable transformation and prosperity. In the next few days we shall begin a daily rally on the streets of Yenagoa to prevail on His Excellency to do the needful.
“Finally, His Excellency should ignore all opposing voices against his defection. We say this because they are all fighting to protect their individual political interest without prioritising that of the state and the entire Ijaw nation.
“ We wish to reassure His Excellency that vast majority of Bayelsans are with him and together, we shall move forward”, the CBSF added.
The group thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing Ijaw sons and daughters into key positions, including Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources; Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as Managing Director, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), amongst others.
Meanwhile, the CBSF has also charged Governor Diri to prioritize the actualization of the Agge Deep Seaport project, saying it will boost the economy of the state and bring about transformation and prosperity, noting, however, that plans have reached advanced stages for the CBSF to hit the streets of Yenagoa with rallies with a view to prevailing on the governor to defect to the APC.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Speaker made the call on Wednesday while hosting councillors from the 13 local government areas of the State in his residence in Lafia, the state capital.
Rt Hon. Jatau said that a good working relationship among the arms of government at the council level was key to development, hence, the need for his call in that direction.
He appreciated the councillors for condoling with him over the death of his younger sister, Hajaratu Jatau, and prayed to God to bless them abundantly.
“I started as a councillor, and today I am the Speaker. There is the need for a good working relationship between you and the elected chairmen for development to thrive at the grassroots. It is in view of this that I want to call on you to give your elected chairmen all the necessary and needed support to succeed. For development to thrive at the grassroots, you must embrace one another and see yourselves as team players,” the Speaker said.
Rt Hon. Jatau also called on them to coexist peacefully among themselves and continue to drum up support for Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration to succeed.
Besides, he assured them that the state government would soon organise training for them to deliver effective service.
Rt Hon. Jatau also assured them that the state government would pay them their furniture allowance, as well as other benefits, to enhance their legislative work.
Earlier, the chairman of the Nasarawa State Councillors Forum, Mohammed Madaki, who is the Leader of Lafia LGA Legislative Assembly, said that the visit was to identify with the Speaker over the death of his sister.
The leader of the delegation urged the Speaker to see the death of his sister as an act of God and bear the irreplaceable loss.
Mr Madaki assured the Speaker of their loyalty and support at all times.
The chairman, however, appealed to the Speaker to intervene in the training of the councillors as well as the payment of their furniture allowance.
To enhance the capacity of political parties and minimise procedural errors in candidate nominations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organised a two-day refresher training workshop on using its Candidate Nomination Portal (CNP) for party officials on Wednesday.
Held at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja, the training brought together key representatives from registered political parties, some of whom had previously been trained ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The workshop aimed to consolidate achievements from previous cycles and ensure a more efficient, transparent, and technologically seamless nomination process in preparation for upcoming by-elections and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.
In her welcome address, the National Commissioner and Chairperson of the Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints Committee (LSC&CC), Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, emphasised the importance of accurate and timely nominations in the electoral process.
“Nomination of candidates is not only a statutory obligation as provided in Section 29 of the Electoral Act, 2022, but it is the very foundation upon which elections are conducted,” she stated, adding that “An error in the submission of personal particulars of candidates by political parties can be potentially detrimental to both the party and its candidate.”
She acknowledged that despite progress with the CNP in reducing paperwork and improving compliance, political parties still faced challenges such as incomplete form submissions, improper document attachments, and frequent turnover of personnel managing the nomination process.
“This refresher training is designed to bridge those gaps and ensure that both returning and newly appointed party officials have the knowledge and skills necessary for a smooth nomination process,” she said.
The Assistant Director in the Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, Mr Samuel Omale, outlined the purpose and strategic focus of the refresher training. According to him, the workshop was designed not just as a routine exercise, but as a timely intervention to deepen the capacity of political party officials ahead of upcoming FCT and by-elections.
“The objective,” he explained, “is to refresh political parties on the approved Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates as outlined in the Electoral Act, 2022, while equipping them with practical knowledge of the nomination process.”
He further elaborated that the training sought to enhance parties’ familiarity with the Commission’s internal procedures, particularly through live demonstrations on how to make timely and correct submissions via the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP).
In addition to addressing common areas of confusion and past mistakes, the sessions also provided space for open dialogue between the Commission and party representatives an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarifications, and find common ground.
Mr Omale expressed optimism about the expected outcomes of the exercise, citing better understanding of the portal, improved accuracy in submissions, and the establishment of a more collaborative framework between INEC and political parties as key deliverables.
“Ultimately,” he said, “this is about ensuring that we reduce errors and build confidence in the nomination process going forward.”
The initiative reaffirms INEC’s commitment to using technology to strengthen electoral integrity, improve compliance, and build capacity among political actors to ensure credible and inclusive elections.
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