The South Sudan Minister of Energy and Dams, Dr Dhieu Mathok has commended Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for the infrastructural development of the state, saying that he deserves a second term.
\nSpeaking after a meeting with the governor at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday, Mathok expressed happiness with the level of development attained under the leadership of Wike.
\nHe said: \u201cI have never come this way, but what I have seen this morning is very amazing. I have seen developmental projects going on.
\n\u201cThis is a sign of stability. You know when there is no stability in a certain state or country, development cannot come up. I will like to commend the governor for the good work that he is doing. I heard there is going to be election very soon. l hope the people of this state will renew the mandate of the governor, so that he can continue what he is doing in this state\u201d, Mathok said.
\nHe said that there are key development projects in Rivers State which the South Sudan Government would like to replicate.
\nHe said: \u201cI am very happy with what I have seen in this state. It is really a great thing. There are a lot of development projects in this state and we like to replicate the same thing in South Sudan.
\n\u201cWe are intending to commercialize NLNG industry in South Sudan. That is why we are looking for the partners who can be able to develop the energy sector in the Republic of South Sudan\u201d.
\nResponding, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike stated that the state would continue to be an investment destination because of the peaceful environment and her rich resources.
\n\u201cThe message is that he is from South Sudan, an African country. What he has seen shows that there is peace in Rivers State. Investors should not be afraid of coming to Rivers State to invest and with the kind of developmental projects he has seen in Rivers State, more investors will be attracted to the state.
\n\u201cThe issue of peace in Rivers State is no longer a challenge. Everybody knows that Rivers State is an investment destination.\u201d
\nThe governor stated that Rivers State would continue to partner with sister African countries to advance the course of development and enhance the economy of the state.
\nHe said: \u201cI told you we are interested in investors who will come into this state and partner with us. So, one is quite impressed by what he has seen the encouragement he has given us. I will also reciprocate by visiting South Sudan to see things and see how we can collaborate with the country and bring more investors to our state.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Agency will soon become operational for the detection and prevention of crimes across the state.
\nThe governor urged traditional rulers to cooperate with operatives of the agency to ensure that they succeed because the operatives are largely nominees of traditional rulers.
\nWike spoke during the 108th and 109th General Session of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, last Monday in Port Harcourt.
\nHe said: \u201cThe neighbourhood watch arrangement will soon be fully operational throughout the state to complement the efforts of the security agencies in the detection and prevention of crime and improve the security of lives and property in our neighbourhoods.
\n\u201cLet me remind you that the corps members were recruited based on your attestations with regard to their character and suitability. Consequently, we will hold you accountable to the performance of the corps and the success of the scheme in your local government areas, communities and neighbourhoods.\u201d
\nThe governor urged the traditional rulers to shun partisan politics as getting involved in politics will reduce their social relevance.
\nHe wondered why a first class traditional ruler would be involved in partisan politics with the aim of undermining the state government.
\nHe said: \u201cIf you don\u2019t respect your stool, you will have challenges. Withdraw yourselves from playing politics. If you don\u2019t withdraw yourselves, I will withdraw you. If you take sides, I will also take sides\u201d.
\nThe governor charged the traditional rulers never to allow any politician to breach the peace in their communities during the forthcoming campaigns.
\nHe said: \u201cWe expect the political parties to play by the rules and embark on peaceful and issue-based campaigns. But you must be on the watch out to ensure that no person or entity violates the peace of your communities under the guise of political campaigns.
\n\u201cAt the end of the campaigns the votes of our people are very important and we expect the INEC to conduct free, fair and credible general elections that will enable our people to freely determine their political direction and destiny. Here again, you also bear individual and collective responsibility to mobilize your subjects to collect their permanent voters cards and vote for the candidates of their choice.\u201d
\nWike urged the traditional rulers to lend their voices in condemnation of the neglect of Rivers State by the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
\nThe Rivers State governor said that the protracted implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni was a grand fraud and deception.
\nWike urged monarchs in the state to lend their voices in condemning the neglect of Rivers State by the Federal Government.
\n\u201cIt is time you lend your voices more forcefully to the neglect of the state by the Federal Government, the devastation of our environment by the oil companies, the grand fraud and deception in the Ogoni clean-up exercise and the call for economic justice and fiscal federation\u201d, he said.
\nHe said it was disheartening that 28 months after the Federal Government launched the Ogoniland clean-up; they were yet to commence the exercise as recommended by UNEP.
\nThe governor said the state-owned security outfit, Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, would soon commence operation for the primary purpose of detection and prevention of crimes across the state.
\nHe, therefore, solicited the support of the monarchs to collaborate with operatives of the agency to ensure that they succeed, particularly as the operatives are largely their own nominees.
\nBesides, Wike cautioned the monarchs to resist the temptation of engaging in partisan politics, which could corrode their social relevance.
\nHe advised the monarchs never to allow any politician to breach the peace in their communities during the forthcoming campaigns, and also urged them to mobilise their people to collect their permanent voter cards and vote for the candidates of their choice.
\nIn an address, Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja appealed to the Federal Government to revive the ports in Rivers State to create employment opportunities for the youths.
\nHe commended the Rivers State governor for the successful hosting of the National Festival of Arts and Culture, saying that the event contradicts the negative reports against the state.
\nDouglas Jaja, who is also the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, praised Wike for his outstanding projects delivery across the state, and urged him to continue his good works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The South Sudan Minister of Energy and Dams, Dr Dhieu Mathok has commended Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for the infrastructural development of the state, saying that he deserves a second term. Speaking after a meeting with the governor at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday, Mathok expressed happiness with the level of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":189300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-front-pix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=189299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/189300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=189299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=189299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=189299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}