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‘2014 FG Budget, A Declaration Of War On Rivers’

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L-R: General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (Lasbca), Mrs Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo,  Secretary, Lasbca, Mr Steven Olarenwaju, and  Managing Consultant, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Mr Shola Famakin, at a town hall meeting with stakeholders in the building industry in Ikorodu, Lagos State, yesterday. Photo: NAN

L-R: General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (Lasbca), Mrs Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, Secretary, Lasbca, Mr Steven Olarenwaju, and Managing Consultant, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Mr Shola Famakin, at a town hall meeting with stakeholders in the building industry in Ikorodu, Lagos State, yesterday. Photo: NAN

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State chapter, has expressed shock and disbelief over the alleged zero allocation to Rivers State in the 2014 budget of the Federal Ministry of Works.
In a statement yesterday, signed by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to the Interim State Chairman of APC, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said that “what this means is that Rivers State will not receive allocation for any Federal Government project this year”.
According to Eze, “if the claim of the Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, while defending the ministry’s budget on Tuesday before the House of Representatives Committee on Works, that neither the Federal Government nor his ministry was at war with Rivers State is true, what could have warranted the omission of Rivers State from the list of states that will enjoy Federal Government presence in terms of capital projects execution this year?”
The statement noted that the Federal Government’s action was very sad and condemnable, especially when it is realised that the bulk of revenue accruing to the Federation Account comes from Rivers State.
“It is simply unbelievable that President Goodluck Jonathan could stoop so low to direct the Ministry of Works to ignore Rivers State in allocation of funds for development projects just because he has some differences with the state Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi”.
The party commended Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Dakuku Peterside, for proving to be a worthy representative of the people of Rivers State by staging a walk-out in protest over the zero allocation to the state during the Works Ministry’s budget defence.
The statement quoted Peterside, who represents Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the House of Representatives as saying that, “I decided to leave the budget session on discovering from the ministry’s details of on-going projects and 2014 budget proposal that there was no single allocation for projects in Rivers State. The few projects listed in Rivers State got zero allocation. For such criminal neglect, there is definitely more to this omission than meets the eye”.
A breakdown of details of on-going highway and bridge projects in Rivers State shows that no single allocation was given to such projects as the construction of Eleme Junction Flyover and dualization of the access road to Onne Port in Rivers State; access road to Eleme Refinery; construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with a bridge across the Opobo Channel and the rehabilitation of the Abalamabie (Allison Hart) bridge, the party emphasised.
The APC recalled that the Rivers State Government awarded contract for the Eleme Junction Flyover in 2008, and the project was completed in 2009.
The statement regretted that “under the watch of President Jonathan, Rivers State has lost much revenue as our oil wells were transferred to neighbouring states. They have taken away the oil wells in Soku and given them to Bayelsa. They have taken the ones between Oyigbo and Etche and given them to Abia. So, our resources continue to dwindle.
“Another area that the administration of President Jonathan has haunted Rivers people include the blatant refusal of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to sign the necessary documents that would have assisted the state to obtain an African Development Bank (ADB) loan to provide pipe-borne water for the state and save people from dying from water-borne diseases.
“The Federal Government has also refused to authorize the release of the two surveillance helicopters procured by the Rivers State Government at N30billion, thereby forcing the state to pay unnecessary demurrage in hard currency annually. These helicopters would have assisted the Federal Government to fight oil theft in the Niger Delta region and check the dwindling revenue accruable to the Federation Account”.
The party further regretted that refusal by the Jonathan administration to implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report that would have assisted in the cleanup of the ecological devastation of Ogoniland.
The APC expressed deep sadness over the bizarre turn of events as orchestrated by the Presidency.
“As a federating state of this nation, paying our taxes and contributing much to the revenue of this country, Rivers State deserves no less than an equitable share of revenues accruing from its resources and due it constitutionally,” the APC said.
It, therefore, demanded an end to this senseless war against the good people of Rivers State, who are the new face of change in the country so desperately needs.

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Fubara Assures Completion Of Ongoing Projects In Rivers …As Airport Road Bypass Hits 65% Completion

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reassured the people of Rivers State of  his administration’s  commitment to the completion of the  various ongoing  infrastructure projects located in different parts of the state.

The governor, who gave the assurance last Friday while inspecting the level of work on the new  Airport Road Bypass in Port Harcourt, said the project had reached 65 per cent completion stage.

According to him, in spite of recent developments on the political scene, he remains in “high spirits,” and is ready  to continue with the task of  governance, especially the delivery of projects that will impact positively on the lives of the people.

“I want to assure our people that notwithstanding the situation of things, one thing that I can promise everyone, is that every good work that we have started, by the special grace of God, will continue and we will complete them. We’re in high spirits. Like, we always say, Rivers First,” he said.

Fubara said that his administration conceived the idea of constructing a bypass to the Airport Road to create an alternative route for the communities around the airport and avoid a situation where some of their activities could cause obstruction along the main highway leading to the Port Harcourt International Airport.

“We’ve always had these issues where the community may want to express their anger or dissatisfaction over some activities of the airport authorities, in the process they always block the airport road.

” We thought that in this modern society, such actions are not necessary anymore because whenever it happens, it affects the economic activities of the state. So we liaised with the community and created this bypass,” he said.

The governor, who  was conducted round the project site by the contractors, expressed delight at the pace of work on the road, disclosing that the total project will be delivered before October 2026.

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Fubara Promises To Deliver State Secretariat Early 2027

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that  the State Secretariat Complex which is undergoing massive reconstruction will be ready for use  by the first quarter of 2027.

Fubara stated this on Monday after a tour of the multiple and  expansive high rise buildings, located in the Old GRA, Port Harcourt.

The governor, who had undertaken a similar tour of the project earlier this year, said he decided to revisit the site to confirm the extent of the job that has been done so far.

“We just did a tour of the renovation of the Secretariat. I have been seeing the outer part of it wearing a new look,  but I wanted to really confirm how  much job is going on, most importantly, the inside and that is what I just went to inspect myself.

“I think that with the progress of work here, by the grace of God, I believe that by the first quarter of next year, it will be handed over to the government. Like I did promise, every job that we are handling, we will ensure that we put them to completion,” he said.

The Tide reports that the Rivers State Secretariat was constructed in the 1970s, shortly after Rivers State was created in 1967. It  is a massive complex consisting of multiple high-rise buildings, including the 17-storey “Point Block”, the 10-storey “Podium Block” along with three other 7-storey buildings tagged “Blocks A, B and C”.

The ongoing renovation  is a comprehensive and transformative upgrade aimed at modernizing the entire complex. It involves structural rehabilitation, improved office layouts, installation of modern facilities, and upgrading of utilities to meet present-day administrative standards.

The project is designed to create a more conducive, efficient, and technology-driven work environment for civil servants.

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Group Hails Tinubu, Chinda Emergence

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The 23 For OK & P-BAT Movement, a political pressure group championing the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governorship ambition of Honourable Ogundu Kingsley Chinda across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections, has congratulated both leaders on their victories at the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries.

In a statement issued by the National Coordinator, Amb. Goodluck Braide, who also doubles as the President of the Renewed Hope Multi-Purpose Co-Operative Limited, President Tinubu’s victory at the APC presidential primaries in Rivers State was described as a reflection of his growing popularity and acceptance among Nigerians. The group noted that since assuming office in 2023, the President has implemented bold economic reforms aimed at repositioning the country for sustainable growth, prosperity, and national development.

According to the group, the outcome of the primaries is an indication of what to expect in the 2027 general elections.

The group also congratulated Honourable Ogundu Kingsley Chinda on his emergence as the APC governorship flag bearer in Rivers State, describing the primary election process as peaceful, transparent, free, and fair. It stated that Chinda’s emergence signals increasing political unity among Rivers people across ethnic and political divides.

According to the movement, the APC made a strategic and wise decision in presenting Chinda as its governorship candidate, citing his leadership experience, competence, charisma, and proven capacity as qualities that position the party for victory in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Amb. Goodluck Braide, National Coordinator

The statement further acknowledged the role of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, praising his political foresight, resilience, and commitment to maintaining unity within the political structure in Rivers State while ensuring the state remains relevant in national politics.

The group equally commended the leadership of the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentanwe Yilwatda, noting that under his leadership since July 2025, the party has witnessed renewed strength, unity, and political growth ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also congratulated the people of Rivers State and Nigerians generally for their continued support and confidence in the Tinubu administration, which it said has made notable progress in promoting national cohesion, social integration, and economic development.

 

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