The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rivers State

  • Tonye Cole and the moment of epiphany

    THERE is tremendous hunger in Rivers State for an end to the bellicose and toxic politics that have seized the state since 1999. Media headlines about the state are frequently about political assassinations, beheadings and inconclusive elections due to widespread violence.

    As Nigeria’s oil and gas metropolis, Rivers State suffers unique consequences when our social and political spaces are dominated by swaggering thugs and other merchants of violence baying for blood in the streets.

    As a former Commissioner for Information in the State, I know, I have heard business leaders silently agonise about how to conduct business in a once-peaceful state now trapped in a circle of violence and strategic dysfunction.

    As businesses quietly close shop in the state at an unprecedented rate, a whole generation of young people is unable to find work or learn new skills, freezing them in economic and social stasis.

    Our leaders are responding to crime in Rivers State by donating guns, gunboats and bayonets to the police and making solemn promises of a football academy that would turn us all into soccer stars. But where that fails, a multi-billion naira Ecumenical Centre has already been built to cast out the incubus of unemployment from our state, through frantic prayers.

    Our leaders have forgotten the well-known nexus between joblessness and criminality. They lack an expansionary vision and have diminished the serious task of governance to simply paving a few kilometres of asphalt. They have replaced public policy with bombast and appear unprepared for the important task of building a knowledge economy to replace a fading oil and gas era in Rivers State.

    This is why the news that Mr. Tonye Cole will be seeking the office of governor of Rivers State in 2019 should interest us.

    Tonye Cole has been profiled by Forbes magazine as a business titan.  He attended Harvard, and serves in the UN’s Expert Advisory Council. His efforts to confront global challenges through the World Economic Forum are well known. As the co-founder of Sahara Group, Tonye has created life-changing jobs for hundreds of young men and women. He is consulted by Presidents of countries whose economies are failing. Tonye is an inspiration and a mentor to millions of young people across the continent.

    Those who question the biological bona fides of such an illustrious son of Rivers State are driving politics to the edge of lunacy, and may have to reassure us of their psychiatric fitness.

    In the age of artificial intelligence and block chain technology in schools, we must reject the abomination that public office in the Rivers State is the preserve of knife-wielding alcoholics and hectoring despots.

    We must encourage all other citizens with stellar credentials and commitment to uplift our people to seek any office, on any political platform, in Rivers State. We need leaders who can tap into the genius of our youth and create opportunities for them, not those who seek to mobilise our young people into a raging platoon of sycophants.

    Finally, those who see Tonye Cole through the primal keyhole of riverine and upland politics are the offspring of a false and rejected dichotomy. He is a son of Rivers State revealed at a moment of epiphany, in a hopeful effort to reclaim and fulfil the promise of Rivers State.

    Dr. Austin Tam-George is a former Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rivers State.

  • IPOB: 19 persons held in Rivers

    …as 3 trucks burnt

    …Exercise received partial compliance

    The police in Rivers state on Friday said they have arrested 19 persons suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), in Oyigbo Local Government Area(LGA), of Rivers state.

    The arrest may not be unconnected with the attack and burning of trucks and other vehicles laden with goods at Komkom axis of Oyigbo while leaving the state for other parts of the country earlier hours of yesterday, Friday, September 14, 2018.

    The incident reportedly occurred about 2: am. The leadership of IPOB allegedly directed their members and supporters to observe a one day sit-at-home in remembarce of the alleged disappearance of their leader Nnamdi Kanu as well as to commemorate their day, instructing all shops,  businesses and markets either owned and operated by the south-Easterners across the country to be shutdown, even as vehicles owned by them be taken off all routes beginning from 12 midnight Friday.

    The attack on the vehicles apparently followed the directives.

    The spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Suprindentent of Police (DSP), in a telephone interview with the Nation Friday said the said group does not exist by law,  having been outlawed by the government, hence have no right to issue any order to Nigerian citizens.

    He said, “Three vehicles were destroyed and burnt down by the members of the outlawed IPOB at Oyigbo, following the said sit-at-home order.

    “We have arrested 19 of them and will definitely charge them to court the moment we are through with our investigations which they are really cooperating with us in.”

    Asked if the arrest was for the destruction done or the order given said,  “Because the group has been proscribed, it does not exist in the eyes of the law, therefore that their so called leaders gave them order to sit-at-home is in the first place illegal, and more worrisome is the fact that they came out to cause violent and destroy peoples’property is a bigger issue,  as far as Nigeria is concerned there is no association like IPOB.” he said.

    Read Also: Mixed feelings trail IPOB sit-at-home order

    Earlier the Executive chairman of Oyigbo LGA Gerald Oforji had confirmed the incident (attack),  and assures that men of the Nigeria Police Force were on the scene to restore normalcy and forestall further attacks.

    However sources around the area alleged that over 10 vehicles were burnt down and four drivers of the trucks involved are reportedly missing.

    Visiting parts of the state on Friday it was notices that the exercise witness partial compliance in parts of Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    From Eleme junction area of the city through the mile one motor park where the Igbos operate most of the businesses, especially the oil mill computer village,  Artillary, Garrison  and even Parker flyover second hand clothes  market, where most of the traders comes from Aba,  in Abia state was open with majority of the traders at their umbrella shades attending to their customers.

    Also shops and business at artillary and garrison junctions also were beehive of activities, however some of the shops were noticed under lock and key.

    In the same vain at the popular Ikoku automobile spare parts markets operated by IPOB members equally witnessed partial compliance but the Iloabuchi electronic dealers axis of Diobu witnessed about 80 per cent compliance, this is also the same at Oginigba area of port Harcourt where there was total compliance.

    Also at Oyigbo mainly occupied by the south-Easterners, markets and businesses belonging to the Igbos were shut down.

    Also Some banks in Oyigbo and parts of Port Harcourt hurriedly shut down for fear of being attacked  by criminals.

    The sit at home order which supposed to be peaceful and optional but somehow turned violent in Oyigbo area.

  • Rivers APC: Sen. Abe faction adopts direct primaries

    Members of factional State Executive Committee (SEC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers state being chaired by Prince Peter Odike Monday adopted direct Primaries for the selection of governorship candidate for the party in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The group who is loyal to the Senator representing Rivers South-East at the National Assembly strongly rejected the indirect primaries prescribed by Ojukaiye Flag-Amachree-led faction last week.

    Read Also:Yobe APC divided over Gaidam’s choice of successor

    Odike announces the position of his group in a five-point communique in Port Harcourt, the state capital, after a SEC meeting of the faction in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday.

    He said the decision for direct party Primaries followed the determination by the faction to entrench participatory process that would afford all members level playing ground at the election.

    He said the SEC meeting was held by the faction in pursuant to articles 12.1 and 12.8 of the APC constitution, and thanked President Muhammad Buhari and the National Party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole for their leadership styles in the country and the party respectively.

    It commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for repositioning the country for continued progress, and his style of leadership that has rekindled belief and hope in democracy.

    He said, “The SEC recognized the leadership of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and National Executive Committee (NEC), for entrenching internal and participatory democracy in the party through the approval of the use of direct primaries, as the mode of selecting candidates for election in the party.

    “The SEC commends the President of the Federal Republic of Namibia geriatric and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for repositioning Nigeria for continued greatness.

    The Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress is grateful to Mr. President, for his style of leadership which has rekindled the belief and hope in democracy.

    “The State Executive Committee unanimously adopts and affirms the use of direct primaries for choosing all our candidates in the forthcoming 2019 elections, as it affords party members the opportunity to participate in the process.

    “We restate our confidence and our unflinching support for the leadership of His Excellency Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of our great party and President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,” they stated.

  • APC chieftain faults Wike on choice of governorship candidate

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has faulted the destructive criticisms by Governor Nyesom Wike of the endorsement of Pastor Tonye Cole as the governorship candidate of APC in Rivers.

    Eze, on Thursday in Port Harcourt, described as most unfortunate, satanic, diabolical, malicious, devious, sad and unacceptable, the remarks of Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Rivers governor, while speaking with reporters in Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said: “For the APC to even think of bringing up anybody against me in this state to challenge whether I have done something or not, then you know that something is fundamentally wrong.

    “What has the Federal Government done for the APC in Rivers State? What has Rivers APC achieved? Mention one thing. Is it in terms of the roads, the airport or seaports?”

    The APC chieftain, however, maintained the Wike was a disaster, as far as governance in Rivers state was concerned.

    Read Also: ‘Why riverine person will succeed Wike in 2019’

    He said: “This is a man who forced himself on the people of Rivers State through spilling the blood of hundreds of the people of Rivers State. This is a man who supervised the ceding of some oil wells that belong to Rivers State to Bayelsa State. This is a man who institutionalised insecurity as a way of governance.

    “This is a man who has governed Rivers State against the constitution, without making public the budgets of the state since 2015. This is a man who has refused to account for what he has used over N900 billion that accrued to the state for, since he assumed office these past three years.

    “Wike lacks the capacity to govern a sophisticated state like Rivers, as he has only succeeded in making the state a laughing stock among other states in Nigeria.

    “The only major achievements of the Wike’s administration, apart from inaugurating projects earlier completed by his predecessor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (now Transportation Minister), are to withdraw our students studying on scholarship outside the country and decimated all the educational and agricultural facilities set up by the government of Amaechi.”

    Eze also stated that Rivers APC needed not to campaign vigorously this time round, based on Wike’s maladministration, thereby turning himself into the chief campaigner of the main opposition party (APC).

    He said: “Let me, as Wike’s good friend and brother, counsel him to concentrate more on his hand-over note, as the coming of Pastor Tonye Cole to rescue Rivers State from his maladministration is not only divine, but timely.

    “Cole, a renowned Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), coming at this point is answer to the prayers of various churches and groups in Rivers State, that a child of God will govern Rivers State in 2019.”

    The APC chieftain also described as untrue, Wike’s allegation that Amaechi failed Rivers people by refusing to attract development projects to the Niger Delta state.

    Eze revealed that Rivers governor denied the Federal Government land to enable it to construct an Industrial Park that would revolutionise the state, just to spite Amaechi, making the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to buy 10,000 acres of land for the project in Rivers.

  • Harry Marshall’s son join race for House of Reps.

    Son of the late Deputy National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Marshall Harry, Inye Harry has joined the growing list of aspirants for the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The young Harry who is contesting the ticket for the Degema/ Bonny federal constituency said it was unfortunate that his federal constituency has been neglected even after several years of the exploitation of oil and gas resources from the area.

    He dismissed claims that Rivers State is a People’s Democratic Party strong hold, pointing out that even though the state is currently under the leadership of the PDP, that was not a true reflection of the realities on ground.

    He said, “Rivers state is not predominately PDP, Rivers State is an APC state we all know what happened during the 2015 governorship election, there was no election anywhere. The votes of the people did not count; the ruling party just sat down in one office with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and wrote the results, the peoples mandate was stolen that was what happened.

    Read Also: Marshall Harry’s son condemns violence

    “This time round, we are determined that this will not happen again. Our people are wiser and we will ensure that their votes count this time around. Something happened last month.  There was a bye election into a state constituency, the  APC won, the ruling party in the state know what they did with INEC, up till this day, they have not released the results.

    “The Rivers State APC is calling for the release of the results but the state government is arguing that the results should not be announced. 2019 will prove to the world that Rivers is an APC state, my constituency is for APC 100 per cent.”

    Speaking on the issue of direct or indirect primary, Harry said “Every state has its own peculiarity and their different circumstances.  I am with the leadership of the APC in my state, whatever position they take I will abide by it since like we were told, each state will decided which mode best suits its peculiarity.

    “If they say it is direct primaries fine, if they say it is indirect we are fine, There are no factions in Rivers State APC, what is happening is no strange in politic I can assure you that at the end of the day  we will all come together and move forward. Most of these fights you see are on the pages of newspapers.”

  • 2019: Rivers APC adopts indirect primaries

    Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State have adopted indirect primary for the choice of candidates for 2019 general elections.

    The stakeholders, on Thursday at the State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting, suggested the three options: direct, indirect and consensus, in line with APC’s constitution, which was put to vote, with indirect primary recording 106 votes, consensus with three votes and direct primary having just one vote.

    Read Also: 2019 polls: I’m waiting to see my challenger, says Ishaku

    The SEC meeting, which was presided over by Rivers Chairman of the party, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, was also attended by other members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party; Senator Andrew Uchendu (Rivers East); and the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Chief Victor Giadom, an indigene of Bera-Ogoni in Gokana LGA of Rivers state; among other chieftains of the party.

  • ‘Why riverine person will succeed Wike in 2019’

    A governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Soalabo West, has stated that a riverine person will succeed Governor Nyesom Wike on May 29 next year, in order to make the Niger Delta state great again.

    West, an energy and maritime lawyer from the Kalabari (riverine) part of Rivers state, stressed that he was not bothered about last week’s declaration by Wike of PDP, who is from the upland part of the state, to seek reelection in 2019.

    The governorship aspirant, on Monday in an interactive session with reporters in Port Harcourt, expressed optimism of emerging victorious at the primary election of the PDP.

    He said: “The argument in 2015 was that Rivers was a PDP state and the people of the state needed to wrest the leadership of the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party which the then incumbent governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, defected to in 2013.

    Read Also: Senator urges Wike to build on inherited projects

    “Governorship aspirants from the riverine ethnic nationalities were asked in 2015 to work with Wike, not because the upland/riverine dichotomy was not there, but essentially because of imperatives of the time, especially that Rivers State should go to the PDP and that the state should be properly mobilised to deliver majority votes to the then President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.”

    West also stated that his governorship aspiration was propelled by the desire to bring to the fore vision, youthful vigour, a pragmatic and dynamic approach to the development of Rivers State, devoid of political bickering and sectarian exclusiveness that were currently being institutionalised.

    The PDP governorship aspirant pleaded with the youths and other stakeholders to do away with violence and thuggery, in order to have peaceful, free, fair and credible primaries and general elections.

  • The Rivers State we need

    SIR: I am really surprised the way Rivers State people appear to be talking concerning the 2019 gubernatorial elections. Some groups are ready to die if PDP did not win the election. The other group wants to die if APC did not win the election. None appears really interested to ask how well the state has fared since 1999? Such highly needed interrogation may reveal that the current crop of politicians may not be able to lead the state better than those who led the state since 1967.

    Come 2019, my position is that whoever wins should give Rivers State good governance which we have been praying for since 1999. We need a Rivers State where our boys are out of the bush and back in offices and factories working for their daily bread without shooting and killing others; we need an industrialised Rivers State where our God-given raw materials, fruits and vegetables will be processed into numerous commodities; we need a Rivers State with at least 10 industrial estates like Trans-Amadi; we need a Rivers State where soothes and carbon flares do not endanger our lives; we need a Rivers State where all children of school age are mandatorily in school under a robust scholarship system; we need a Rivers State where water will be processed into commodities and exported to other countries of the world where water remains a scarce commodity; we need a Rivers State where hospitals are excellently equipped and functional; we do not need a Rivers State where all we know and talk about is building of infrastructure since 1967 when it was created; we need a Rivers State with good governance not bad governance etc.

    Good governance in Rivers State is not about upland and riverine Rivers State, it is not about the ethnic groups that make up the state, it is not about gender or gerontocracy. It is not about the leader being rich and the led been poor materially and psychologically. It is all about good governance, not bad governance.

     

    Okachikwu Dibia

    Abuja

     

     

  • Gunmen kill two policemen, driver, abduct expatriate

    At least three people have been killed and one kidnapped by gunmen around Woji community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The victims are reportedly two police officers and a civilian driver in a convoy of a foreigner, who was later abducted by the bandits.

    Eye witness account said the kidnappers ambushed the convoy within Akom road in Woji community in Obio/Akpor area shot and killed the policemen and the driver.

    The witness, Rachel Reginald, said the gunmen later succeeded in kidnapping their target, after releasing sporadic gunshots in the incident, which happened around 9:47pm on Wednesday.

    This is happening, barely 12 days two Soldiers, a policeman and a driver were also killed at Abua Local Government Area of the state, while trying to prevent the kidnap of an expertriate, although their target narrowly escaped.

    Read Also: Four policemen killed in kidnappers’ ambush

    According to Reginald, two passers-by sustained bullet wounds in the incident that lasted less than 15 minutes.

    Spokesman of the State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), when contacted, confirmed the death of two policemen, adding that a victim is recuperating in hospital.

    Omoni however, denied that somebody was abducted, regretting the armed men carried out surprise attack on the police team.

    He said that the command has intensified search for the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

  • Navy shuts down 150 illegal refineries

    …seizes imported rice worth N220m

     

    The Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar has shut down over 150 illegal refineries through swamp buggy operations in its area of responsibility, which includes Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers State, in the last seven months.

    Outgone Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the Command, Rear Admiral, Mathew Emuekpere, who made this known while handing over to his successor, Rear Admiral David Adeniran, in Calabar on Tuesday also said within the period through their anti-smuggling operations, the Command had seized 13, 803 bags of imported rice valued at the sum of over N220 million at N16, 000 per bag among several other contrabands.

    He said with the reduction of smuggling activities, the Command has been able to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts in revamping the economy and enhancing the activities of local farmers.

    Emuekpere, said during this time, which he served as the FOC, having taken over the Command in January this year, over 90 suspects have been arrested with their vessels and barges for various martime crimes.

    He thanked Navy personnel and other sister security agenies and paramilitary organziations and civilans that contributed to the successes recorded during his stay as the FOC of the Command and urged that the same support be extended to his successor.

    Read Also:Navy seizes 1.2m litres diesel, arrest six suspected smugglers

    He also expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ekwe Ibas, for giving him the opportunity to serve as the Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Naval Command in the past seven months.

    The new FOC, Rear Admiral David Adeniran, promised to complete all ongoing projects in the Command.

    He warned that any form of collusion or abetting illegalities would not be tolerated.

    He urged all Navy personnel to support him and promised to work with other security agencies to check criminality.

    “Our purpose is to fight all forms of illegalities and ensure that our maritime environment is safe for legal business. We cannot do it alone but would collaborate with other security agencies. We also urge our host communities to help us succeed, so we can also assist them in any way we can. We would work with all stakeholders for the benefit of all. We encourage those involved in illegalities to change and work for a better Nigeria,” the new FOC said.