Category: Niger delta

Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Old Boys and Girls Association with his contemporaries and colleagues of Odi Government Secondary School, Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

Diri noted that the association had a long, tumultuous fifty years journey that members could attest to, stressing it was a journey worthwhile with some of them gone to sleep from 1972 to date.

According to him, the celebration was not just to make merry but to give back to the school and society.

He commended the former military Governor of old Rivers State and traditional ruler of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, who initiated the policies that gave children in rural areas access to education.

He thanked the President of the association, Prof. Ebimiowei Etebu, present, past executive councils, members and products of the institution who had excelled and distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavour and impacted in the school in the provision of infrastructure and other forms of support.

However, some old boys and girls present at the occasion, who were commended by the Governor for their contributions to the school and society include Deputy Governor Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Commissioner for Works and infrastructure, Dr Tonye Isenah, Rear Admiral Godfrey Yanga (rtd), Mr Moses Teibowei, Mr Franklin Aganaba, Brig. Eric Angaye, Chief Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore (JP) among others.

However, the special guest of honour and Chief launcher of the occasion, Chief Egukawhore, thanked Gov. Diri and members for the rare privilege accorded him, emphasizing that the unity of the association was unrivalled and worthy of emulation and urged both the political and business classes to build on the existing bond.

However, the high point of the occasion was fundraising for the building of a befitting science laboratory for the school with members doling out millions of naira for the project while a minute silence was observed in memory of departed members.

However, dignitaries at the occasion include Speaker Abraham Ingobere; Bayelsa Chief Judge Justice Kate Abiri; a member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency, Hon. Fredrick Agbedi, wife of Diri, Justice (Mrs) Ebibomor Diri among others.

Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, has marked his 2nd anniversary in office with the commissioning of road projects in the State.

The commissioning jubilations coincided with the launching of a book titled “The Izon of the Niger Delta”.

Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde commissioned a 4.5 km road project at Igbedi community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area named after Diri.

At the book launch, Diri appealed that the Ijaw history book project started years back by the late DSP Alamieyeseigha administration should be given wide support by all Ijaw sons and daughters to ensure the Ijaw language does not go into extinction.

He commended past Governors who initiated, funded and superintendent over the book project.

He also thanked the only surviving editor of the book, Emeritus Professor E.J Alagoa, who turns 89, soon for embarking on the project, stressing “the beauty about Alagoa is that even at his old age, he still reads without lenses”.

Diri also prayed for the repose of the soul of late Prof. Tekena and late Prof. John Pepper Clark, who were co-editors of the book.

READ ALSO: Revenue allocation formula unfair to Niger Delta, by Diri

Chief launcher of the book, High Chief Emonena Victor Wayles reminded the gathering that the Ijaw culture was built on the foundation of truth and tasked all citizens of the Ijaw nation to sustain it.

He also pleaded that maximum value should not be placed much on the token he donated, stressing it should rather be considered as the starting point and applauded Gov. Diri for making the dream of the book launch a reality.

President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, recalled when the rally cry of “Ahh Izon” represented steadfastness to the Izon cause, especially by the male folk.

He was also saddened by the increasing attitude of Izon parents unable to communicate with their children in the language, thereby failing to promote that aspect of the Ijaw culture.

The high point of the occasion was the launching of the book with the full participation by traditional rulers of Ijaw nation, technocrats, captains of industries among others, who donated millions for the project.

In his memo, the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs said, Tim Cook, is the guy that has gone through the organisation and is prepared for leadership.

When Steve Jobs presented Tim Cook at the board meeting, he was unanimously voted as the next man to lead apples after its founder.

Tim Cook had worked in several departments in Apples, preparing himself for leadership. In the corporate world, leadership goes through processes, and once the man in charge leaves, there’s always no succession battle, as the next man assumes the leadership position.

Even in Zenith Bank where the Governor came from, he was the fifth man according to ranking research on Zenith Bank, and others have their rankings too.

The over-reliance on God giving us a successor will do us no good, as God will not come down to anoint the next Governor in 2023.

God cannot be ambushed, as everyone keeps professing on waiting for God in matters where knowledge could come to play.

What I think the Governor should do, is to look within his Executive Members, and ask them to suggest someone and a voting process should take place within them.

The Governor should take a step further to meet with Elders of different senatorial districts in the State separately according to their district, and ask them to make a suggestion and there should be a voting process for the suggested persons.

The youth and women should also be consulted by the Governor, to also make suggestions and vote.

With this, Governor Udom Emmanuel will understand where the people want the pendulum to swing.

No King has ever named a successor alone. The King has his trusted allies, let him also ask them to make suggestions and vote. Governor Udom Emmanuel should correct whatever mistakes former Governor Akpabio did in any way, during his eight-year term.

The succession legacy will be applauded and sustained based on how the Governor goes about it.

Akwa Ibom State needs someone who will leverage on the legacies of Governor Udom Emmanuel while consolidating on the gains of this administration.

We do not need a Governor who will learn on the job because every minute spent to learn on the job, it is a lost productivity time for the state.

Let Governor Udom Emmanuel sustain his legacies and name a Tim Cook for Akwa Ibom State.

A reputation founded on integrity must be nurtured by truth.

.Eneh John is a journalist and communication scholar, who writes from Uyo.

Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim has said that Governor Nyesom Wike desires a safe and healthy state for all residents.

Nsirim spoke at a meeting with managers of state-owned government media organisations in his office in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

The commissioner urged the media in the state to drive a conversation that would enlist the support of those living and doing business in Rivers to achieve the desired objectives of the government.

He said: “We must use our media houses to make our people not to politicise what the Governor is doing in this direction.

“Governor Wike means well for Rivers people. It is only a man who has the interest of the people he is governing at heart that will come up with that kind of New Year agenda.

READ ALSO: Wike declares 19 illegal refinery kinpins wanted

“Of course, we are all aware that illegal bunkering and artisanal refineries contribute highly to the environmental challenges we are facing with soot in the State.

“And from the Governor’s new year broadcast, you find that there is a strategic move to end illegal bunkering and artisanal refineries in the State.

“This meeting is to draw our attention to the fact that we need to play a very prominent role in advocacy, enlightenment and sensitisation of the citizenry to buy into this positive agenda of the government.

“We owe our State that obligation to ensure that the State is safe and healthy so that people whose stock in trade is to always see no good in policies of government are shunned.

“The people must shun all these naysayers. The people must shun those who are playing to the gallery, those who are looking for cheap popularity and publicity”.

Nsirim charged the media to drive a conversation through their different programmes to help people understand that Wike had the best interest of the people at heart.

“It should be aggressive. Let it permeate the minds of all those living and doing business in Rivers State that this is what we should all join hands with the government to do,” he said.

Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel has been described as an excellent manager of human and material resources.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, made the commendation while fielding questions from reporters in Uyo.

Ememobong said that his commendation was on the heels of the Governor’s demonstration of humongous capacity to harness potentials and mobilise resources to stimulate the local economy through the initiation of life-touching projects across different sectors of the economy.

He re-echoed the achievement of the Emmanuel administration in infrastructure, industrialisation and agriculture.

The commissioner stressed that the performance of the Governor has continued to attract the attention of local and international players, strategically elevating the State to a place of reckoning in terms of good governance.

According to him:” The focus of this administration is to ensure that eighty percent of what we consume in the state are sourced and produced locally, that way, we can round-trip our monies and stimulate our internal economy.

“By industrialising the State, which is the cardinal programme of Governor Emmanuel’s Completion Agenda, the aim is to create employment opportunities for gainful employment of the people, in order to increase their incomes, as well as their spending power, which is one of the ways to maintain a healthy GDP “.

READ ALSO: Nsukka and Udom Emmanuel’s grand vision

Also, the CEO of Orascom Properties and a freelance journalist, Mr. Majeed Dahiru, while speaking as a Guest Analyst during an early morning television programme, Kakaaki on AIT TV, recently, described Akwa Ibom as an “exceptional state “.

While making a retrospective analysis on the issues of Internally Generated Revenues, IGRs, and the ongoing agitation by some Governors to have direct control over the deductions of Value Added Tax, VAT, Dahiru called on all state chief executives to show creativity by investing in critical sectors of the economy in order to expand their revenue base.

According to Dahiru, “beyond revenue sharing from the federal government, every other state governor has largely refused to do business, except Akwa Ibom “.

“Akwa Ibom State, today, has an airline, and if you hold a conversation with industry players and even passengers, they would tell you that the best airline flying the Nigerian skies today is Ibom Air, a state-owned airline “.

“For a state government to be able to run an airline like Ibom Air, what that means is that, for every time someone flies the airline from any location, you are paying something into the coffers of Akwa Ibom state government, so the state earns a revenue from the airline outside crude oil revenue, and that is what states should begin to do now, and with time, the states would begin to depend less on crude oil revenue”.

Real Madrid and the Rivers State Government have signed a cooperation ratification agreement for the promotion of sport amongst children and youths at the Real Madrid Academy, Port Harcourt.

The signing of the ratification of the framework for a cooperation agreement between the international football club and the Rivers State government took place over the weekend at the Auditorium of Real Madrid Sport City, Fuerzas Armadas avenue, 402, Madrid, Spain.

Governor Nyesom Wike signed on behalf of the Rivers State government while Mr. Enrique Sanchez, the Executive Vice president of the Real Madrid Foundation and Mr. Jihad Saade, who is President of Interact Sports jointly signed the agreement.

Wike commended the Real Madrid Foundation and the Interact Sports for the opportunity given to the Rivers State Government to partner with the Real Madrid football club in order to encourage Rivers’ youths to develop their talents and skill through sport.

He said the State government was pleased to ratify the agreement with the Real Madrid Foundation and assured that everything has been done to fully kick-start the Real Madrid Academy in Port Harcourt.

READ ALSO: Wike seeks upward review of revenue allocation to states

Wike, who was accompanied by the Abia Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the Rivers Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), explained that the initial intention was to admit only boys as students into the Real Madrid Academy but following the huge application received from prospective female students, the State government had to reconsider the policy.

“We had to stop to include the girls. We are very ready to kick-start the school and we believe that this is a very good opportunity for our people. We are honoured to be identified with the Real Madrid, it is a good brand for us.”

Wike reaffirmed his belief that sport is an important factor in social integration and in the promotion of ethical values such as solidarity, participation, team spirit, respect for one’s opponent and non-discrimination.

The Real Madrid Foundation maintained its resolve to continue to promote sport amongst children and youths in the understanding that sport contributes to the comprehensive development of a young person’s personality, offering positive alternatives to situations of risk and fostering healthy habits and ways of life amongst children and youths.

On his part, the President of Interact Sports, Jihad Saade, asserted that Interact Sport has been an active contributor to the dynamic transformation of Nigeria, moving forward with modernity without forgetting Nigeria’s rich culture and heritage.

All the parties mutually acknowledged that they have the necessary legal capacity and authorisation to execute and subscribe to the protocol.