The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Elections: Gunmen attack police checkpoint in Bayelsa

    Unidentified gunmen have attacked a police checkpoint in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, injuring a Sergeant and snatching two AK47 rifles ahead of the rescheduled elections.

    It was gathered that the incident caused panic among residents amidst increasing rate of crimes and killings in the capital city.

    The attack was also said to have occurred after soldiers shot and killed a 27-year-old man for robbing their colleague his mobile phone at gunpoint in Biogbolo area of Yenagoa.

    A security source said armed hoodlums attacked the policemen, who were conducting a stop and search operation at the popular Berger Junction.

    The policemen, who were said to be fond of extorting commercial tricycles in the area, were caught unawares by the attackers.

    The assailants reportedly stole two AK47 rifles and injured a police Sergeant, who tried in vain to stop them.

    At Biogbolo community in Yenagoa, some soldiers, who went in search of a gang that robbed their colleague at a gunpoint were said to have shot and killed a 27-year-old man.

    Community sources said the soldiers in uniform out of anger stormed combed Biogbolo at 10am in the morning.

    The incident caused protest in the area as residents barricaded some parts of the Mbiama-Yenagoa expressway causing traffic jam.

    Read also: NCC Tackles Google Over Free Wi-Fi

    A resident of the area, Frank, identified the victim as Bright, popularly called Albino in Biogbolo.

    He claimed that the youths were drinking and sharing jokes when the soldiers invaded the community shooting sporadically, killing Albino and leaving many others injured.

    He said: “We were just sitting at an area drinking, when suddenly we saw soldiers, before we could ask what was happening, there was a rain of bullets, some of us ran, some were injured, while one of the youths was killed. One was taken into custody and later released at their headquarters at Igbogene after investigations

    “What has happened is unjust, we did nothing to be fired at, we are calling on all human rights and pressure group to seek justice for the innocent victim.”

    A senior police officer confirmed the two incidents and said a manhunt had been launched to arrest the hoodlums that stole police rifles.

    He, however, said the military should investigate the claims by the community that soldiers shot and killed a youth in the area.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Butswat Asinim, said he was yet to be briefed on the incidents.

  • Rapist, wife beaters… Run from Edo

    Edo State government has begun move to open a register for convicted sexual offenders that would be made open to members of the public. The opening of the sexual offenders register is sequel to the signing into the law the Violence against Persons (VAP) bill by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    The VAP law is meant to address all forms of violence and protect vulnerable members of the society.

    Governor Obaseki signed the bill into law on Tuesday, the day Speaker Kabiru Adjoto presented the bill to him moments after First Lady of the State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki led other women groups to protest violence against women and vulnerable persons in the state.

    What prompted the protest was a viral video which showed one Favour Ada Friday, a 24-year old girl being beaten and raw pepper inserted into her vaginal  on the allegation that she stole a phone worth N450,000 belonging to one Joel Otoghile. Some of the suspects involved in the case have since been charged to court.

    The protesters including the Nigeria Bar Association, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and other women groups walked through the streets of Bénin City to the Edo State Police Command and the Edo Government House.

    At the police headquarters, Chairperson of FIDA,  Barr. Iryn Omorogiomwan, urged the State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosun, to ensure investigations are expedited so that all the suspects are convicted if found guilty.

    Barr. Omorogiomwan urged the CP to create Special Squad to stop jungle justice as being seen in various trending video. She said it was worrisome the rate at which men rape their children and people molested without recourse to the law.

    Edo Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Prof, Yinka Omoregbe, said the protest is to tell the CP that they don’t want the case against those that brutalised Favour to be thrown out of the court.

    “We don’t want the police to mess up the investigation. We are committed to justice. We want to ensure justice is done.”

    The Police CP assured the women that proper investigation would be carried out to arrest all the fleeing suspects. He told them that the law would take its course even as he declared that preliminary investigation showed that no phone was missing.

    Addressing Governor Obaseki before the bill was presented,  Omorogiomwan said the VAP bill answered all agitation by women and children.

    She urged Governor Obaseki to assent to the bill for all forms of barbaric acts in the state to stop.

    Mrs. Obaseki in her speech said she was pained when she watched the viral video of what she termed degrading treatment meted to one of our daughters.

    According to her, “This act had been described as barbaric, cruel, evil, wicked, satanic and most degrading. This is a crime against women, the world over. It is indeed a crime that shocked human conscience and cannot be tolerated by the people and Government of Edo State.

    “The VAP bill eliminates violence in private and public life. The content of the Act of rich in its provisions as it  of the prevalent forms of violence in Nigeria today ranging from physical, psychological sexual, harmful traditional practices and sócio-economic violence. It punishes offenders and provides effective remedies for victims.”

    “This Act is s response to current challenges of the people. It punishes wide range offences such as rape, gang rape, inflicting physical injury on a person, forceful ejection from home, forced financial dependence or economic abuse, forced isolation or separation from family friends amongst others.”

    Governor Obaseki, who signed immediately assented to the bill promised that  it was not a formality but would be implemented to the  letter.

    “We will not stop here by just signing the bill into law, but will commence the much difficult work of implementing it to the letter. It must be noted that this bill has been in consideration for over six to eight years but the time has come for us to have a law like this VAP Law, to protect the most vulnerable and weak in our society.

    “As a government, we have aligned with the Federation of Women Lawyer (FIDA)’s purpose and objective and therefore have no hesitation in signing the bill into law.

    “I want to appreciate FIDA for their doggedness, leadership and commitment to this cause. I am not sure many other states in the nation have such bills. This bill goes to the core of some of the most pressing issues in society particularly violence against women and other persons.”

    Speaker Adjoto, told the governor that the newly signed VAP law would eliminate violence in private and public life.

    “This bill prohibits violence against all persons and provides maximum protection and effective remedy for victims and punishment for offenders and other related matters,” he said.

    “This bill was sent to the EDHA in the fourth Assembly but suffered a setback. It also suffered a setback in the fifth Assembly but it was passed in the sixth Assembly.”

    Adjoto explained that rape was properly defined in the bill and a rapist will now spend his or her life in prison.

    ”If a man beats his wife, he risks two years in prison if the case is proven. It is now an offense for men to abandon their duties of upbringing as the responsibility is not for women alone.  Female genital mutilation now attracts life imprisonment without an option of fine.”

  • Bayelsa govt executes 300 projects in 7 years

    Bayelsa State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Konyefa Godwin, on Wednesday, said government had executed over 300 projects within the seven years of Gov. Seriake Dickson’s tenure.

    Godwin told newsmen in Yenagoa that the projects were spread across the eight local government areas (LGAs) of the state.

    He said that the projects included, roads, bridges and buildings, which were either completed or on-going, in both the coastal communities and the upland.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bayelsa, a predominantly riverine state, has only four LGAs: Sagbama, Ogbia, Yenagoa and Kolokuma/Opokuma, located on land.

    The commissioner listed some of the completed projects to include:  the State International Airport, Ecumenical Centre, building of Annex 3, 4, 5 and 6 secretariat complexes, dualisation of Sani Abacha expressway and Azikoro road among others.

    Other completed projects were: the new Governor and Deputy Governor’s offices, Diagnostic centre, House officers’ quarter at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Etegwe-Amasoma road, Governor’s Aide’s block, Ogbia-Nembe road and Igbogene carriageway.

    Some on-going projects according to Godwin included Niger-Delta University, Senate Building, Sagbama-Ekeremor road, University of Africa Administrative block, Yenagoa-Oproma road, among others.

    On the administration’s seventh anniversary fixed for Thursday, February 14, the commissioner commended the achievement of the present government, especially for bringing development to the door steps of the people.

    “Mr Konyefa Godwin, the Commissioner of Works, and his team, hereby felicitate with Gov. Seriake Dickson and the Deputy Gov., Real Admiral John Jonah, on the celebration of their seventh year anniversary in office.

    “The seven years have indeed recorded about 300 projects in all the LGAs in the state.

    “We thank the governor for changing the length and breadth of Bayelsa, with landmark projects and infrastructure.

    “May the Almighty God continue to take you and the state to a greater height,” he stated.

  • ‘How I will tackle Boki oil palm estate crisis’

    Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State regularly gets embroiled in crisis over the ownership of oil palm estate in the area. This often leads to loss of lives and property.

    For Mr. Victor Abang, who is from the area, the situation has persisted due to poor management of the matter by leaders in the area.

    Abang, who seeks to represent the people of Ikom/Boki federal constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), complained that the leaders have failed to live by example of eschewing violence.

    “Part of the problem we have had has been the problem of leadership. Leadership particularly when leaders don’t show example. The young men look up to the leaders and rather than look for a solution you encourage them to violence,” he said.

    Giving an insight into the origin of the problem, he said, “The problem of the plantation started when politicians started using the plantation to settle their supporters. So every politician now needed to get control of the estate, so they can now share plots to his or her supporters. That is the first problem of that. then the boys themselves got to a point where they were the ones who went to the farm to harvest and sell and then go and pay to one politician somewhere. So it got to a point when the boys themselves said no, they wanted to be their own masters and did not want to pay loyalty to anyone again. They took charge of the whole thing. Even the people who caused the problem, who created the monster could not go back to talk to the boys again.”

    Abang, popularly known as Mature, said seeking lasting solution to the problem would be one of his objectives if he succeeds at the polls to represent his people.

    “The problem of the oil palm estate is that the people who have the influence to talk to those young men when it first started we were completely excluded, they did not get us involved. So I think that like I said, when you live by example, you don’t sponsor violence, you don’t encourage the young men to violence, they will trust you. Like today I am running elections across party lines you see young men in other parties saying they will vote for me because of the things I have done for them,” he said.

    He said a major means of checking restiveness would be the creation of job opportunities for the people of his constituency.

    Top on his agenda, he said, will be an annual economic and investment summit expected to attract two or three industries to improve the value of crops produced in the area and ultimately take people off the market.

    “Ikom and Boki are mostly an agrarian. There is plenty of cocoa and oil palm, but most of the time value is not added to them before they are sold. If they create a value chain where the cocoa is even further processed into powder, that could create some jobs in the industry doing that. If the oil palm can be further refined like it is done in other countries and refined to vegetable oil, it would also create additional jobs. So if you bring an investment summit and you bring people across the world and encourage the communities to be peaceful and friendly.

    “Once we get the youths meaningful jobs, others would see that there is hope for them and when they have hope they respect you and you tell them violence is not good. I believe passionately if I succeed with the summit for four years, I believe that I would be able to have two or three industries coming up in that place and this would help take the boys of vices.

    “I don’t want to go into empowerment of motorbikes. Empowerment should be based on needs assessment. Some of those motorbikes that are given are sold at the venue. Empowerment that I would do would be based on needs assessment. There are various skills acquisition programmes, we take young people to get skills and you get the tools for them. The money you use to buy a car, you can buy a set of four tools and empower people. Even if it is only POP designing alone the person goes to learn, they make money from it. Those are some of the programmes I think I can do to help reduce youth restiveness,” he said.

    Abang, who has been a Special Assistant to three Senate Presidents, said he got positive feedback from the field during his campaign, said people need representation that is accessible.

    “The people want a representative they can feel. There is something I found lacking and that is people have no access to their leader. Even when you come and make several promises and you go there and now discover that, you would not be able to meet those expectations the solution is not to avoid people.

    The solution is to be available and you explain to them. For instance I made to promises throughout my campaign. One is that working with three senate presidents I was able to give people in Boki and nearby local government areas over 200 Federal employments. So I said well, this is the one I know how to do. As I go to National Assembly I would try to look for employment for the people of Ikom and Boki.

    “Secondly because I have been that long in the National Assembly, I have some contacts, I would deploy them to the benefit of our people. Those are the two promises I made. I did not make any other promises. But when you have come and you have not been to the office, you begin to promise and earth and by the time you get to the office, the reality would not dawn on you that what you promised you would not be able to me and you begin to dodge. As a legislator, you can influence roads and projects to come to your place but they know it is not your primary responsibility. So they want to feel you and have access to you and once you are available to even explain to them that look these are our challenges, yes there are some pressure that come with it, but when you aspire to public office you should be ready for public scrutiny,” he said.

  • Govt to commence census of farmers in Edo–Perm Sec.

    The Edo State government will commence census of farmers across the 18 local government areas of the state.

    Mr Bashiru Kadiri, the Permanent Secretary, Edo Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Benin.

    Kadiri said the census would commence before the end of the first quarter, adding that it would enable government have database of farmers and size of their farmlands.

    “The idea is to know the number of farmers in the state, what they grow, sizes of farmlands, where the farms are located, so that we can easily link them to investors, interventions and market access.

    “For instance, a cocoa processor can easily know where to get large quantities of cocoa pods from the farmers’ database that will be created.

    “The data collected can also be used to know and project the tonnes of yields of various crops planted in the state.

    “In the next weeks, we will be done with the data collection,’’ he said.

    He said the state government recently entered a tripartite agreement with cassava processors and farmers to expand the cassava value chain in the state.

    “Farming is now a business and we are looking at the return on investment for our farmers.

    “Our cassava farmers suffer the problem of getting buyers for their cassava tubers, but the tripartite agreement will link the farmers to ready buyers,’’ he said.

  • Firm partners Edo on consumer foods production

    The Heritage Agro-Allied Foods Nigeria Ltd (H2A) is partnering with the Edo State government, Elephant Group and Von Foods to develop processing of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF).

    The Managing Director of H2A Foods, Dr Tony Bello, said on Wednesday in Lagos that HQCF also known as “Tapioca Flour” would be processed into nutritious consumer foods like snacks in Nigeria.

    ‘The HQCF policy of the Edo Government has gone beyond cassava bread.

    “What we are working on is the transformation of staple crops into industrial food ingredients such as gluten-free tapioca flour and extruded snack foods.

    “Our goal is to engage thousands of small scale cooperative farmers in Edo to grow cassava for processing into tapioca flour, flakes, granules and snack foods,” Bello said in a statement.

    According to him, H2A, a U.S.-based Food Science and Technology company is facilitating the 6 million dollars investment plan as well as institutional investments and private sector partners under a strategic public-private partnership platform with Edo Government.

  • Benin residents hail Fed Govt, BEDC for improved power supply

    Residents of Benin and its environs have commended the Federal Government and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for the improvement in power supply to the areas.

    Some of the residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, in separate interviews on Wednesday, said the commendation was against the background of their experience within the last quarter of 2018.

    The people said that with the improvement in power supply, they had been enjoying electricity from a near zero hours daily to at least, 12 hours daily supply.

    They further stressed that the improvement in electricity supply had remarkably led to the improvement in their means of livelihood as well as their lifestyle.

    Mr Osaigwe Aghedo, a resident around Abuja quarter area of the Government Reserve Area (GRA), Benin said that the electricity supply to her area was constant at 12 hours daily.

    “It is usually brought for every 3 hours, I mean 3 hours on and 3 hours off, which add up to 12 hours daily and it has been ongoing since January,” he said.

    Aghedo said this was not the case between October and November 2018, when residents practically stayed in the dark for weeks.

    Another resident, Miss Jemima Osaikhuiwuomwan, who lives around Iduoriyekemwen area of the town, said that some areas around Isior had also been enjoying power supply daily.

    “I don’t know where the electricity supply came from, but it has improved recently to the extent that sometimes I have to switch off some of my electrical gadgets,” she said.

    The story is the same with John Omoruyi and Festus Napoleon who both reside at Irhirhi area, off Airport road, Benin.

    They said that the area usually have power up to 12 hours daily supply.

    The duo, however, bemoaned the issue of estimated billing which they described as “extortion.”

    Similarly, Osato Udiase who resides at Utese, Ovia North East Local Government Area, said that the communities around his area benefitted from supply between 12 to 20 hours daily “unlike before.’’

    While commending BEDC for the improved electricity supply, he also lamented over the excessive billing system.

    NAN reports that the state in general and residents of Benin in particular had experienced poor power supply for the better part of the last quarter of 2018.

    The development was caused by a faulty power transformer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

    The issue got to a climax that Gov. Godwin Obaseki and other prominent citizens, including the Civil Society Organisations, called for the revocation licence of the BEDC.

  • Edo to constitute COC for road projects

    To ensure road contractors adhere to specifications in the bill of conduct quantity and jobs delivered in record time, the Edo State government has said it will constitute the Community Oversight Committee (COC) to serve as a third-party monitoring group.

    Members of the committee are to be selected from the communities where the roads are located. The COC would be assisted by members of the Civil Society Group and Public Works group made up of young engineers to be deployed across the state to monitor road projects.

    This was disclosed by Governor Godwin Obaseki while flagging off construction of 1.3 kilometres of road and 1,800 meters of drainage, spanning across three streets in Uzebu, Ogiekae Community and Ekehuan Road axis in Benin City metropolis.

    The three streets are Jemide Drive, Ibizugbe and Osamwonyi streets.

    Obaseki also flagged off construction of 1.5km road in Oghoghobi Community in Ikpoba-Okha LGA and 1.7km road project in Ogunwehi Community in Oredo local government area.

    The road projects being constructed in collaboration with the in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR) were part of the 100 roads awarded for construction and reconstruction across the 18 LGAs of the state.

    Represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Taiwo Akerele, Governor Obaseki assured the communities that the roads would be completed and delivered within three months.

    His words: “The aim of this government is to deliver good projects that will touch lives of the people and these roads spanning across three streets in this community will impact meaningfully and improve the local economy.

    “We will constitute Community Oversight Committee (COC) which is a third-party monitoring group to be made up of members of the community. Also, we will engage Civil Society Group, Public Works group made up of young engineers who have been deployed across the state to monitor projects and ensure contractors work according to specification and deliver the project on schedule.

    Edo State Coordinator, SEEFOR, Mr. Toju Onaiwu, said the road projects in Oghoghobi and Ogunwehi communities include construction of drainages to control flood water.

    He urged the benefitting communities to continue to support the Governor Obaseki led-administration to continue to reap more dividends of democracy.

    The contractor handling the construction of Jemide Drive, Ibizugbe and Osamwonyi streets, Engr. Micheal Dottie, promised to do the job according to specification.

    “We will work according to specification and in line with the Bill of Engineering Measurement. The roads span across three streets in this community. We will do our best to ensure this project is completed in the next three months before the rains set in fully.”

    An elder in Jemide Drive, Mr. Matthew Osagie, said since he came into the community in 1972, the community has not felt government’s impact until the award and flag-off of the road project.

    He said, “I have continued to support various governments, and none has remembered my community like the Obaseki-led administration that has now put smiles on our faces. We pledge our loyalty and support to this administration to ensure it succeeds.”

    At Oghoghobi Community His Royal Highness, Kingsley Omorose, commended the state government for the road project saying it would provide access to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Computer-Based Centre in the community.

  • Rivers…Where it is not strange to have military escorts

    Despite assurances by security agencies in Rivers, many are watching their back to avoid being kidnapped, assassinated, robbed or attacked by criminals. The Garden City and other parts of Rivers State can fare better. Southsouth Bureau Chief BISI OLANIYI reports

    Rivers became a state on May 27, 1967. On October 1, 1996, Bayelsa State was carved out of it, with Bayelsa State having eight local government areas, while Rivers State has 23 local government areas.

    Divided into upland and riverine parts, the coastal parts have more development challenges, in view of the swampy terrain.

    On March 2, the people of this vast state will join the rest of the country to elect their governor and House of Assembly members. Security is a major issue on the mind of many. The state was bloody during the 2015 elections.

    Abonnema, the headquarters of Akuku-Toru,  and Rumueprikom-Port Harcourt in Obio/Akpor are very significant in the 2019 governorship calculation in Rivers State.

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Tonye Cole, and his counterpart in Accord (A), Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, are from Abonnema. Governor Nyesom Wike, who is seeking re-election, hails from Rumueprikom-Port Harcourt.

    Social life in Port Harcourt, the state capital, is affected by insecurity, with most night clubs and drinking joints witnessing low patronage for fear of being attacked by kidnappers, armed robbers, assassins and cultists.

    It is commonplace in Port Harcourt and its environs to see policemen, military and para-military personnel on escort/guard duties, for the eminent personalities not to become victims of always fully-armed criminals.

    Besides the well-developed Port Harcourt, the developing cities in Rivers include Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni , with the Federal College of Education (Technical); Ahoada, the seat of Ahoada East council; and Bori-Ogoni, the headquarters of Khana LGA, hosting the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic.

    Ahoada, with many oil wells, is like a ghost city, with the big hotels in the town empty because of incessant kidnapping, which sent away workers of oil firms and oil servicing companies in the area.

    The crude oil and gas-rich Omoku has many of the commercial banks shut, due to incessant kidnapping of their officials, while lecturers and other workers of FCE (Technical), as well as officials of the multinationals and oil servicing companies are also not spared of the nasty experiences in the dens of kidnappers.

    It is difficult for the people of Omoku and its environs to forget the 2018 New Year’s Day attack by the notorious killer/kidnapper, Johnson Igwedibia, aka Don Waney and his cult members. 23 persons died, with many persons injured and their valuable property destroyed in the invasion.

    Igwedibia and some of his lieutenants in crime were later gunned down by security agents and the palatial house of the kidnap kingpin was later demolished by security personnel.

    Bori-Ogoni, Bonny and Opobo

    Bori-Ogoni is fast developing, with the presence of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic and dualisation of the Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road, but the crude oil and gas-rich area is now becoming notorious for cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes.

    Another part of Rivers that would have been inviting to investors and fun seekers is the ancient Opobo Kingdom, the coastal town of the famous King Jaja and the hometown of the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside.  Though it now has a road linking it with the rest of the state, the journey to Opobo is still mainly done by water, using speed boats, with all the risks involved, especially boats capsizing and passengers being attacked by sea pirates, thereby losing their valuables.

    The ancient Bonny Kingdom is the seat of riverine Bonny Local Government Area and the base of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company Limited, which can only be accessed for now, by boat and chopper, as work is still ongoing on the Bodo/Ogoni-Bonny Road, being jointly constructed by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and NLNG.

    Except highly-placed persons, top officials of NLNG and other companies who can afford the journey to Bonny by air, most people access the island by water, and risk being dispossessed of their cash, phones, other valuables and expensive engines of the boats.

    The executive NLNG boats, with adequate security protection, are not for members of the public, except for persons who are connected to top officials of the company.

    Bonny Island is a nice place to live in Rivers with various job opportunities, booming businesses and exciting night life, coupled with free supply of 24-hour electricity to the residents by NLNG. Lack of link road is a major setback as many people are scared of travelling by boat, even with life jackets and security protection.

    Insecurity in Rivers has also made many medical doctors, other health workers, teachers and other employees of mostly the state government to lobby to remain in Port Harcourt, rather than being exposed to kidnapping, sea piracy, cultism and other criminal activities.

    Many persons in Port Harcourt and its environs with flashy cars prefer to move about in rickety cars or taxis to avoid exposing themselves to daring kidnappers and armed robbers.

    Most travellers on Port Harcourt-Mbiama-Warri, Port Harcourt-Ogoni-Eket-Uyo, Port Harcourt-Aba, Port Harcourt-Elele-Owerri, Elele-Omoku and Port Harcourt-Kalabari Roads, among others, always have sad tales to tell  daily in the hands of armed robbers and kidnappers, who demand huge ransoms or rape the ladies.

    Thugs  given guns by politicians to “win” the 2015 elections in Rivers are now terrorising innocent residents as the arms are yet to be retrieved from them. The abandoned and hungry “boys,” quite unfortunately, are helping themselves to survive with the rifles.

    Unemployment rate

    Rivers also has unemployment challenge, thus making many jobless youths to go into criminal activities. Their role models are mostly illiterate militant “Generals,” who are billionaires through kidnapping, illegal bunkering, sea piracy, armed robbery and other criminal activities.

    Comments

    The lawmaker representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Senator Andrew Uchendu, said: “As a young man, I watched, with great excitement and admiration, the growth and development of Rivers State. Unexpectedly and sadly, as an adult, I have seen the worst of times in its history. I have seen our youths dismember body parts of fellow youths. I have seen beheaded bodies dumped in public places.

    “While we pray fervently for the grace of God, our recognised traditional rulers, the clerics and other statesmen must be prepared to call a spade a spade and courageously call errant politicians and deviant members of the society to order.

    “As individuals and as a group, we must learn to condemn that which is condemnable and appreciate that which is good for all of us.”

    For Cole,  Rivers must be placed on a path of growth and total economic recovery. “To do so, we must resolve to take our destiny in our own hands. To get to the next level, we must create the appropriate environment for the flourish of commerce and industry, as well as investments. To ensure the redistribution of wealth, our people would have to work with the APC,” he said.

    He added: “Some Rivers people were betrayed by the quality of our medicare system, as they struggled to hang unto life, in a state that is so blessed. Our hospitals, ill-equipped to deal with life-saving challenges, could not cope.

    “Some of our pensioners who had toiled as civil servants passed away within the period (2018), because they could not afford decent living for themselves and their beloved families. Their only source of livelihood – pensions and gratuities – were not released as and when due by a system that has not sufficiently demonstrated that it has the milk of human kindness.”

    For the Chairman of PDP in Rivers, Chief Felix Obuah, Wike has worked hard to improve the quality of lives in the state.

    Obuah described Rivers governor as a history maker, having surpassed expectations developmentally.

    Rivers chairman of PDP noted that Wike was going to the poll with incredible testimonial and scorecard of massive social, economic and political development of the state, while urging his teeming supporters to vote massively for Rivers governor and all PDP candidates during the elections, claiming that there was no alternative to Wike.

    Obuah alleged that detractors of members of PDP in other unnamed political parties were on the verge of drowning, claiming that the opposition politicians might be doing everything to have others drown with them, while urging PDP members in Rivers to resist the opposition politicians and remain focused.

    Wike, through Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, said: “If Governor Wike is not a good governor in Nigeria, then who is better? It is on record that no governor in Nigeria has received more unsolicited awards, both in Nigeria and abroad, than Governor Wike.”

    In spite of the assurances given by security agencies in Rivers, everybody is now watching his/her back to avoid being kidnapped, assassinated, robbed or attacked by criminals. The Garden City and other parts of Rivers State can fare better.

  • Okowa to establish technical colleges in 25 local govt areas

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has promised to establish technical colleges in all the 25 local government areas of the state to boost vocational skills acquisition.

    Okowa made the remarks on Wednesday at a seminar on; “The 2019 General Elections” organised by E.K Clark Solidarity for Okowa in Warri.

    Theme of the seminar was: “Free, Fair and Credible Election: A Panacea for a Stable Delta.”

    The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr Kingsley Emu, said that the development would help increase jobs creation in the state.

    Okowa said that his administration had constructed 1,056 Kilometres of roads in both the uplands and riverine communities in the state.

    He urged the people to support his re-election bid to enable him to consolidate his numerous achievements in the state.

    “I urge you to embark on door to door campaign in your neighbourhoods, and come early enough to your polling units to cast your vote.

    “We have constructed a lot of roads, schools and other projects, we want to do more for our people,” he said.

    Earlier, the keynote speaker, Prof. Godinni Darah, advocated proportional representation of political parties in governance.

    Darah, a Professor of English and Literary Studies, Delta University, Abraka, said that the development would give parties that lose election a sense of belonging in the government.

    He said the gesture would help to address the multifarious political parties because weak parties would align.

    “The idea of winner takes it all should be reviewed; any political party that gets about 10 per cent should be rewarded with either Commissioner or other positions.

    “That will help to reduce the number of political parties and also entrench peace,” he said.

    Darah also stressed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain neutral in the conduct of the elections.

    “INEC must show equity and neutrality; it should not compromise, it must satisfy all the parties to achieve free, fair and credible elections.

    “Gov. Okowa has done very well in all aspects of development; he deserves re-election to enable him to consolidate on his achievements,” he said.

    Also, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation in Delta, acknowledged the relevance of non-indigenes in the state.

    Oyovbaire urged the people to support the re-election of Okowa to continue with the good work in the state.

    Also, Mr Simeon Efenudu, the National Coordinator, E.K Clark Solidarity for Okowa, urged the people to vote en-mass for Okowa and other PDP candidates.

    “EK Clark had publicly endorsed Gov. Okowa for second term and has not relented in campaigning for him.

    “He also directed his followers to campaign for the governor,” he said.