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Tag: George Sekibo

  • Uchendu’s swearing-in, triumph of people’s power – Dakuku Peterside

    Uchendu’s swearing-in, triumph of people’s power – Dakuku Peterside

    Dr Dakuku Peterside, the Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA ), says the swearing-in of Sen. Andrew Uchendu is a triumph of people’s power and resilience over violence.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Uchendu was sworn-in as a Senator to represent Rivers-East Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ).

    Peterside, in a statement on Thursday in Port Harcourt, said that the victory of Uchendu at the tribunal and subsequent swearing-in had put a stop to election manipulation.

    “As Sen. Andrew Uchendu mounted the podium and took oath of office, it has marked the collapse of the manipulation of our electoral system.

    “The swearing-in of Sen. Uchendu also marks real victory of the people’s power and conquest of resilience and determination over violence.

    “I salute Sen. Uchendu for his moment of glory and our leader, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, for offering leadership that strengthens our resolve, courage and gives hope to ordinary people,” he said.

    According to him, those who celebrated the shortlived victory of electoral manipulation will definitely fear God and also know that there is a limit to which they can manipulate our weak institutions.

    “Sen. Uchendu represents the true spirit of the ‘Riversman’ and the state, and his victory marks a new beginning and never again will darkness becloud our land again.

    “I join all Rivers people and particularly the thousands of young men and women who are ready to go to any length to defend their conviction to celebrate this new era,” he said.

    Peterside, who was the Rivers APC Governorship candidate in 2015, thanked supporters of the party who made necessary sacrifice to be in Abuja to witness the historic swearing-in.

    “I thank those who invested resources to celebrate our brand new Senator in both newspaper publications and various massmedia platforms,” he said.

    The National Assembly Appeal Tribunal for Rivers on Aug. 24 sacked Sen. George Sekibo of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) to issue Certificate of Return to Uchendu.

  • Breaking: Appeal Court upholds Sekibo’s sack

    Breaking: Appeal Court upholds Sekibo’s sack

    …Affirms Abe’s election

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the sack of Senator George Thompson Sekibo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the Senate.

    In a unanimous judgment Thursday, a three-man of the appellate court, dismissed Sekibo’s appeal, upheld the decision of the election tribunal, which earlier sacked the Senator and ordered that he be replaced by Andrew Uchendu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In another judgement, the same panel of the Court of Appeal upheld the election of APC’s Magnus Abe as Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

    The court affirmed the judgment of the legislative election tribunal delivered on June 27, 2017 and dismissed the appeal by Olaka Nwogu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on the grounds that it was without merit.

  • Senate commiserates with British Parliament over terror attack

    The Senate has commiserated with the British Parliament over Wednesday’s terror attack outside the parliament in Westminster which killed three people.

    The Senate took the step following a point of order by the Leader of the Senate, Sen.  Ahmed Lawan, on Thursday’s plenary.

    “The Senate notes with utter sadness the attack by terrorists on the House of Parliament in Westminster,” Lawan said.

    He said the Senate believed “that the attackers carefully touched the legislature which is the mark of liberty and democracy”.

    Lawan said the issue of terrorism was no longer a local issue of any country but that any terrorist attack on any country was an action on all  those who cherished freedom from oppression and the right to be free.

    According to him, the Senate will not relent and must indeed continue to fight terrorism in whatever shape or form it takes, irrespective of where it is targeted.

    “The Senate recognises the long standing and historic relationship between the Nigerian Parliament and Westminster.

    “The Senate reiterates our earlier role as a parliament for broader cooperation against terrorism on a global scale and the need to build synergy and partnership in this regard,” it said.

    Contributing, Sen. Mohammed Hassan (PDP-Yobe), who seconded the motion, said: “This building (the Senate) is vulnerable to such attack.

    “The leadership of the Senate should take a very drastic measure to ensure that things like this are averted.”

    Sen. George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers) said “it was frightening when we heard of terrorist attack on the legislature.”

    “They want to discourage the legislature from saying the truth or functioning in their full capacity for the purpose in which the legislature is set up. We should not be afraid we should do our work as it is expected.”

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, described the attack as sad and horrifying.

    “The message is that any attack on any parliament anywhere in the world is an attack on all parliaments.

    “This Senate conveys our solidarity and support for our colleagues in the UK parliament and to the people in the United Kingdom in general.

    “We continue to stand together in the fight against terrorism,” he said.

     

  • Senate to Service chiefs: stop insurgency, kidnapping, oil theft

    Senate to Service chiefs: stop insurgency, kidnapping, oil theft

    SENATORS urged the Service Chiefs yesterday to stop the escalating insurgency, kidnapping, oil theft and pipelines vandalisation in the country.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence and Army, Senator George Sekibo, spoke shortly before the Senate Joint Committee on Defence and Army, Navy and Air Force went into a closed-door screening of the newly appointed Service Chiefs in Abuja.

    The senate referred the President’s letter, seeking for the clearance of the military top brass to the committee which will send its recommendations to the Committee of the Whole for approval.

    Sekibo (Rivers East), warned that the lawlessness and impunity across the country could lead to its disintegration, if not nipped in the bud.

    He noted that the screening of the nominees was not about their academic qualification, but their “competence in strategic military operations”.

    He said: “It is pertinent to mention that our country is going through some major security challenges, including among others the Northeast insurgency, the oil theft and pipeline vandalisation in the Southsouth and kidnapping in the Southeast and other parts of our country.

    “If the required attention is not given to these challenges, they are capable of disintegrating our country or putting our nation’s unity in question.

    “It is the wish of the Senate and indeed the entire nation that no part of this country would be allowed to exist in lawlessness and every part of the country must be fully protected, as that is one of the primary objectives of a good government.

    “The oil theft and vandalisation of pipelines in the Southsouth region is a major economic breach with resultant effect of reducing national earnings from the oil and gas sector and this must be stopped.

    “It is our belief that the change of batons from the previous service chiefs by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to those of you who are presenting yourselves for screening is to work towards achieving tranquility in the Northeast region, eliminate oil theft and pipeline vandalisation in the Southsouth region, stop the kidnapping in the Southeast region and other areas of the country and also perform your other constitutional duties.

    “The screening, therefore, may not necessarily be to assess your academic but your competence in strategic military operations.”

    Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin and Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosu were at the screening.

    Apart from Sekibo, other committee members who conducted the screening are All Progressive Congress (APC) Senators Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central), Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central), Akin Odunsi (Ogun West), Mohammed Sani Saleh (Kaduna Central), Atai Ali Aidoko (Kogi East) and Ajayi Robert Borofice (Ondo North).

    Others are Basheer Garba Mohammed and Ifeanyi Okowa.

    The presence of the APC senators raised some eyebrows, considering the directive of the party’s national leadership that its lawmakers should block all Executive Bills or confirmation of nominees from the President, pending the resolution of the Rivers State crisis.

  • 4th year Anniversary of Amnesty Proclamation

    4th year Anniversary of Amnesty Proclamation