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Tag: Rivers State

  • MOSOP condemns invasion, seizure of Ogoni farmlands by militants

    MOSOP condemns invasion, seizure of Ogoni farmlands by militants

    The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has condemned the invasion of farmlands in Norkpo-Ogoni in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State by over eighty militants from Ogu, the headquarters of Ogu/Bolo LGA of the state.

    It noted that the invading militants were armed with sophisticated arms and ammunition, while being supported by natives of Ogu.

    MOSOP, Monday in Port Harcourt, through its Media/Public Affairs Advisor, Bari-ara Kpalap, described the invasion by militants as a callous act of aggression, which would further threaten peace and security in the area, as well as inflict major injury on the relationship between both communities.

    The umbrella organisation of Ogoni people called on Rivers government and security agencies to intervene, with a view to halting the expansionist land grab campaign of the people of Ogu against their Ogoni neighbours, especially Norkpo.

    MOSOP said: “The raid, which was carried out on April 7, 2017, led to the seizure of vast farmlands owned by the people of Norkpo. Upon violently chasing away innocent and harmless Ogoni farmers from their farmlands, the militants instantly apportioned the annexed lands to their people, who also commenced fencing of the allocated plots.

    “The invaders denied the Norkpo farmers the right to access and work on or harvest crops on their cultivated farms.

    “In mid-March 2017, MOSOP raised concerns regarding intensification of violent capture of ancestral lands of the people of Ogoni communities by the people of the neighbouring Ogu. We are also aware of petitions by the affected Ogoni communities, especially Norkpo, to the authorities, protesting the provocative land seizure actions of the Ogu people. Regrettably, nothing has been done by the authorities to address the issues.

    “Coming at a time when the tempest of insecurity in Ogoni has not abated, government and Ogoni people are working concertedly to return sustainable peace to the area, we are compelled to believe that the actions of our Ogu neighbours amount to sinister and unfriendly intent, influenced by expansionist interests. If not, how would one explain the reported involvement of the Ogu Divisional Council of Chiefs and the Ogu/Bolo Local Government Council in the sharing of the annexed Norkpo lands to citizens (individuals and families) of Ogu community?

    “Facts abound that heavily-armed Ogu attackers earlier invaded and sacked Ekporo-Ogoni community in Eleme LGA. The people of Kporgho-Ogoni in Tai LGA of Rivers State also suffered similar fate, as they are presently refugees in various Tai communities. Alesa and Nonwa in Tai and Eleme LGAs respectively are no exception. Unfortunately, complaints by these communities to the authorities have yielded no result.

    “We are deeply concerned at the attitude and inaction of the authorities to the plight of the people of the Ogoni communities. From the reported utterances of the people of Ogu, especially claiming that the present state administration of Governor Nyesom Wike is their baby, hence they can do anything and nothing will happen, there is need for the Rivers State government to take urgent steps to deal with the matter to convince Ogoni people that Ogu people’s claim is incorrect.”

    The umbrella organisation of Ogoni people also called on all men of goodwill to prevail on the people of Ogu to vacate the grabbed lands and allow peace to reign, stressing that natural boundary between Ogoni and Okrika communities exist conspicuously.

     

  • IYC crisis: Okrika convention is illegal – Omare Exco

    IYC crisis: Okrika convention is illegal – Omare Exco

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has discarded an ongoing convention by one of its factions in Okrika, Rivers state, as a gross violation of the law, admonishing all to disregard the process and its outcome.

    Spokesman of the IYC, Henry Iyalla, in a statement made available to journalists Saturday, said the apex Ijaw youth body had elected new executive council, the leader of which is Eric Omare as President, on the 2nd and 3rd of March, 2017, at a convention administered by its immediate past president, Udengs Eradiri, in Burutu town, Delta state.

    The statement further stated that the ongoing process in Okrika, being spearheaded by some former leaders of the body is illegal and futile because the constitution of the IYC mandates only an outgoing president to conduct the convention that will produce a new and succeeding executive council.

    “The IYC national leadership wishes to call on Ijaw youths and members of the public to completely disregard the purported election being called by some former leaders of the IYC.

    “The IYC has since the 2nd to 3rd of March, 2017 at BURUTU town, Delta State duly conducted elections into the National Executive Council at the instance of the then President and leader of the council, Udengs Eradiri. Udengs Eradiri had since handed over the leadership of IYC to Eric Omare as President.

    “We wish to state clearly that former leaders of IYC have no power whatsoever to call for a convention for the purpose of conducting elections into the IYC National Executive Council. We advise the few IYC former leaders involved to maintain their advisory role rather than assuming executive functions and becoming partisan.

    “It is also important to alert the reading public to know that whatever that is being planned or happening at Okrika, Rivers State is being done in flagrant disregard of the rule of law. The question of IYC leadership is already a subject of litigation before the Bayelsa State High Court and parties have been asked to maintain the status quo”, the statement said.

    The statement, however, called on security agencies to swing into action and ensure the that all parties respects the rule of law, adding that the Omare executive council believes in the peaceful resolution of all issues at stake

  • Wike/Ortom faceoff: ‘Wike’s charity should begin at home’

    Wike/Ortom faceoff: ‘Wike’s charity should begin at home’

    The President of Ikwerre Bu Otu Peace Movement in Rivers State, Amb Prince I. Ihuonwo, has weighed in on the war of words between the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, and his Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom over Wike’s road construction in Benue state.

    The two governors have been sparring over Wike’s decision to reconstruct the Makurdi-Naka-Adoka and the Aliade-Oju-Obarike-Ifo-Otukpo roads in Benue, with Wike calling for the declaration of state of emergency in Benue state.

    Ihuonwo, during a chat with The Nation, expressed surprise that Wike’ was committing about N4billion to reconstruct roads in the middle belt state when there were several roads begging for attention in the state.

    He urged the governor to let “charity begin at home’.

    He said, “We are surprised that our governor is committing about N4bn to sponsor road in another state and we are here in Ogbakiri (Emuohua local government area) where there has been no road since the creation of Rivers State.

    “He (Wike) should not be doing something that he would receive praises for from outside while his people are dying. We have no road, nothing to show, while he is bettering the lives of other people in Benue state.

    “How does it benefit people of Rivers? He should start from Ogbakiri, where the people have nothing to show for supporting the PDP.

    “It was the former President Shehu Shagari that gave us road. After then former governors (Peter) Odili, (Rotimi) Amaechi and now Wike have been governor yet we do not have road and our governor is building roads in other states?

    “We wonder what the point is in doing that because there are people in Ogbakiri who are supporting him and there is nothing for them to show for their support,” Ihunowo said.

    Speaking further the Ikwerre leader lamented the absence of development at the grassroots of Ogbakiri, stressing the area lacks good roads and drainage system to alleviate their suffering.

    Ihuonwo said Ogbakiri was still suffering from the crisis that rocked the area till 2000, noting that 17 years after the people and infrastructure are not better off.

     

  • Ndoma-Egba vows to change public perception of NDDC

    Ndoma-Egba vows to change public perception of NDDC

    The Chairman of the Governing Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba says steps are being taken to change the negative perception of the commission by the public.

    Ndoma-Egbe said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He regretted that the public image of the commission was not encouraging, adding that It would no longer be business as usual.

    According to him, members of the commission are being accused of collecting kick backs from contractors of the commission before paying them for contracts executed.

    “The story in the public is that the commission collects 10 to 15 per cent from contractors to get their payments for jobs executed.

    “This is absolutely wrong, if it is true, getting such payments from contractors would have become an industry by itself.

    “There is no reason why contractors who have met conditions for payment should not be paid without any gratification.

    “We are coming on board at a very challenging time.’’

    According to him, we must rebrand the commission and change the public perception of it as a slush fund, and this we must do through our honest work and single minded focus and discipline.Ndoma-Egba also pledged to reposition the board to enable it play its role effectively in the administration of the commission.

    He explained that the NDDC under his leadership would no longer serve as a place where things would be done without adhering strictly to set rules and order.

    “The bane of the commission seems to stem from the mentality of the leadership that once they are appointed, it is their turn to rip off the agency.

    “But the new Board and Management of the commission have understood where we are coming from and what the people expect from us and we have decided to depart from the ugly route of the past,’’ he said

    To this end, Ndoma-Egba said that on assumption of office, the management immediately swung into action by taking measures to put their house in order and change the way things were being done in the commission.

    He said this was done to show their seriousness and desire to stick to accountability and to ensure the much needed development.

    The chairman said the management assembled key members of staff and development partners for a retreat in February.

    This, he noted was part of efforts by the commission to reposition it for effective service delivery.

    “The three-day retreat, with the theme; “Collaboration for Sustainable Development”, held in Onne, Rivers State, and was attended by members of the Governing Board, directors, and strategic stakeholders from within and outside the region.

    “The retreat made it clear that the new Board and Management are solely dedicated to integrity, efficiency, transparency and accountability,” he stated.

    Speaking on abandoned projects in the region, Ndoma-Egba blamed the budget process for being “largely responsible for the spate of abandoned projects in the region.’’

    “The approach to projects has been ad hoc, arbitrary and self-serving, with very little end-user content. Many projects appear strange to beneficiary communities.

    “The projects are imposed on them and it creates crisis of ownership.

    “It will be apt to expect that with the combination of the chairman and the managing director in the saddle, a new era of rapid physical development driven by accountability will for once dominate the affairs of the commission.

    “Indeed, those who have taken time to look into the books of the commission are quick to point out that the amount of money received by the intervention agency since its establishment in 2000.“It is not commensurate with the quantity and quality of projects in the nine oil producing states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers.

  • Rivers govt committed to ending illegal fees in public schools

    Rivers govt committed to ending illegal fees in public schools

    The Chairman, Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Mr. Fyneface Aka, says the state government is determined to end illegal fees and levies in public schools.

    Aka who made this known on Tuesday said that the state government would sanction any head teacher found guilty of collecting illegal fees and levies from pupils and students.

    “Any head teacher that is investigated and found guilty of collecting illegal fees from pupils in any government owned schools in the state will face the full weight of the law,” he said.

    Aka said that the measure had become necessary to ensure that illegal fees were wiped out of state-owned schools.

    According to him, only the state government has powers to authorise fees in schools in the state.

    He described government’s decision as a welcomed development, adding that it would promote discipline among administrators of public schools.

    He said the continued extortion by some head teachers was because attention was not paid to ending corruption in the school system.

    “If adequate attention is given to the challenges of extortion in public schools such issues will have been completely wiped out of the system.

    “It’s so sad that while the state government is struggling to fund education with its limited resources, some head teachers are making money for themselves through illegal levies from our children.

    “Thank God, that it’s no longer business as usual because whoever indulges in such act will be dismissed from service,” he said.

    The UBEB chairman also disclosed that the state government had commenced school monitoring programme.

    He said that the monitoring programme would enable the government know the number of absent teachers and issue appropriate punishment.

    He enjoined teachers in the state to contribute to national development as they carry out their tasks.

     

  • NNPC subsidiary denies responsibility for explosion at NLNG

    NNPC subsidiary denies responsibility for explosion at NLNG

    Integrated Data Services Limited, IDSL, a Subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has explained that it was not responsible for the pipeline explosion which occurred Friday at a Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, NLNG, pipeline in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State.

    IDSL said its operation crew which was engaged in acquiring seismic data for SPDC in Oil Mining Lease, OML, 17/22 ROBO 3D prospect, observed approved safe distance standards contained in the Department of Petroleum Resources’, DPR, regulations and as such could not be the cause of the blast.

    The IDSL, according to a statement that the NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu in a statement yesterday said that:“Our activities involve the use of seismic explosives of size 2kg and detonators. The drilled and exploded depth is 45 metres. At this depth the effect on the surface cannot affect any structure.

    “The suspected gas leakage on the gas pipeline between Eveku and Rumodogo 1 communities in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State of February 22, 2017 was not caused and cannot be caused by NNPC, IDSL Party 05 seismic operations. Our closest activity around the incident area yesterday was 798 metres away from the pipeline”, IDSL stated.

    As a responsible corporate body, IDSL’s crew on operation in Emohua Local Government Area observed, to the letter, DPR’s regulations governing such activities which include: maintaining a minimum distance of 25 metres from tarmac roads, 50 metres from houses, 100 metres from pipelines, and a minimum distance of 200 metres from well heads or oil wells.

    IDSL crew was 798 metres away from the exploded pipeline.

    Relevant authorities in Rivers State have been informed of the incident.

  • Rivers re-run: Panel recovers N111m from 23 INEC officers – Chairman

    Rivers re-run: Panel recovers N111m from 23 INEC officers – Chairman

    The panel constituted to investigate the electoral and other offences perpetrated during the Dec. 10 Rivers Parliamentary re-run election, has alleged that it recovered N111 million from 23 INEC officials.

    The Chairman of the panel, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Damian Okoro, made the allegation while presenting the team’s report to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He alleged that three senior electoral officers collected N20 million each out of the N360 million given to them by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, while the remaining officers received N15 million each.

    Okoro further alleged that there were some cases of misconduct on the part of some electoral officers, who were compromised in the line of duty.

    “By this investigation, this panel has diligently unraveled what went wrong with the re-run election in Rivers, the details of which are contained in the report.

    “We discovered that failure of leadership and followership rather than law enforcement was responsible for the political upheaval in the state,” he said.

    He added that the task given to the panel was challenging because of the tense political and security atmosphere in the state.

    The chairman said that lawless elements targeted political opponents of their sponsors, and law enforcement agents, especially the police.

    He attributed some of the violent acts to inflammatory statements by some narrow-minded politicians.

    “Apart from their utterances, politicians in their desperation for power, also armed thugs who unleashed terror on their opponents,” he said.

    He said that six police officers, who were indicted, had been tried and dismissed from the force.

    Speaking, the inspector-general of police, said that a report and recommendation would be forwarded to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for his advice.

    He said appropriate action would be taken against indicted persons to serve as deterrent.

    “We are going to take appropriate action in conjunction with other security agencies to put an end to this problem,’’ he said.

    He urged Nigerians to have confidence in the security agencies and believe the panel report.

    Idris alleged that Wike refused to cooperate with the panel even when the team visited him in Port Harcourt.

    He said that the investigation would go a long way toward ending electoral malpractices in the country.

    “We will be failing in this country if we allow this to continue,’’ he said.

    He said that the money recovered would be paid into government coffers.

    It will be recalled that the I-G on Dec. 22, 2016, constituted a 15-man special joint investigation panel to investigate electoral and other offences in respect of the Dec. 10, 2016 re-run election in Rivers.

    The membership comprised 12 police officers and three officials of the Department of State Services.

    The panel was, among other things, mandated to thoroughly investigate the various infractions, incidents and violence that marred the election.

  • Rivers State’s fishy helicopter business

    Rivers State’s fishy helicopter business

    IT was essentially a dispute between the present and past Rivers State governors over the importation and clearance of two helicopters specified as armoured plated. But no thanks to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), a simple and direct transaction instantly became a very complicated matter. Two years into his first term in office, former governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi, reportedly ordered for two new Bell helicopters to help the state combat insecurity, particularly the menace of rampant militancy. He sought the federal government’s financial involvement and approval. Both were given, with Mr Amaechi and his successor, Nyesom Wike, agreeing that documents showed that the Goodluck Jonathan presidency even underwrote a part of the expenses. For some reasons, the helicopters were not cleared during the tenure of Mr Amaechi. And when Mr Wike attempted to clear the goods, more complications were introduced until in exasperation he conceded the helicopters to the federal government.
    At every stage of the transaction and consequent misunderstanding, there were letters and documents to substantiate the efforts made by the importers to ship in and clear their consignments, and the stonewalling by the federal government that erected road blocks against the consummation of the deal. How this very open transaction became shackled in a tangled skein is perhaps known only to the Customs. The documents concerning the transaction were neither lost nor misplaced, nor yet the language complicated; but some days ago the Customs woke up with a start and announced to a wary and gullible public that unknown importers attempted to ship in two armoured helicopters. The news instantly evoked images of nefarious militants or insurrectionists planning to levy war on the government or country. The Acting Public Relations Officer, NCS, Joseph Attah, told the press that no one had come forward to claim the helicopters, and that the items were therefore seized and given to the Nigerian Air Force. “Investigation into the seized aircraft is still ongoing,” he had said. “You know that when something is seized by customs and that item is something that can be auctioned, then it is auctioned. But in this case, the helicopter is something that is useful to the nation and so, it was given to the air force. But despite the fact that it has been handed over to the air force, we are still conducting our investigations.”
    It turned out that the Customs were economical with the truth. Both the past and present Rivers State governors owned up to the transaction, and had in fact never denied it. They quoted documents, some of them replies from the federal government and its agencies, including the Customs itself. The only disagreement between Mr Amaechi and Mr Wike concerns the politics of the helicopters and the motives behind stalling its clearance. So, why did the Customs avoid the truth? Even the simple act of ceding ownership or control of the helicopters to the air force was given a twist by the Customs. The media should not be satisfied with their evasions. They should pin them down to know what motivated them into telling such dangerous untruths. The fear, indeed, now is discovering how many more untruths the government and its agencies have told, and what dangerous and complex manipulations they are capable of, against individuals and against the opposition.
    Despite the disagreement between the former and present Rivers State governors, and notwithstanding their desperate attempt to politicise everything between them and their parties, and irrespective of whether purchasing helicopters was a sound decision or not, the state government behaved more honourably than the Customs and the federal government in the whole affair. It must be commended. The public, it seems, can live with a state or a government guilty of bad judgement. What they cannot tolerate and must never reconcile themselves to is a powerful and demagogic government determined to mislead and misdirect its people.
    Yet, it is not enough that Mr Wike has offered the government the use of the helicopters, perhaps in an effort to prove his own and his state’s altruism. State funds were committed into purchasing the aircraft; now that the federal government has given them to the air force, not impounded them, as the Customs untruthfully claimed, Rivers State must be compensated for its great loss. Fairness and justice demand this.

  • APC expels minority leader of Rivers Assembly

    APC expels minority leader of Rivers Assembly

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has expelled the Minority Leader of the state’s House of Assembly, Benibo Anabraba, a lawyer, who represents Akuku-Toru constituency 2.

    APC, through its Rivers Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, Monday in Port Harcourt, revealed that the member of the main opposition party in the state was expelled for anti-party activities, disobedience and negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the APC.

    Rivers APC said: “The State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC, Rivers State chapter, having invited you (Anabraba) three times to its meetings to discuss the allegations of your anti-party activities, disobedience and negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the party, and your refusal to attend any of the three invitations, the SWC in its meeting of January 27 resolved that you are guilty of anti-party activities, and also guilty of disobedience and negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the party.

    “Your willful and consistent refusal to attend the proceedings on the three occasions you were invited has confirmed your disrespect to constituted authority of the party.

    “The party considers your willful and deliberate refusal to make yourself available to answer to the allegations against you as sufficient confirmation that the said allegations against you are true.

    “Therefore, the party in pursuant to relevant provisions of the constitution of APC (October 2014 as amended), particularly Article 2l (A) ii, iii, hereby expels you from the party forthwith.”

    Efforts were made to get the expelled lawmaker’s reaction, but his mobile line was not available, as at press time.

     

  • Wike: Seized helicopters belong to Rivers State

    Wike: Seized helicopters belong to Rivers State

    • Says I wrote Buhari to hand them over to NAF

    Rivers State Governor  Nyesom Wike said yesterday that he gave his backing to the federal government in handing over the two Bell helicopters imported by the Rivers State government to the Air Force.

    The Customs Service announced on Friday that the helicopters were smuggled into the country by an  unknown  person who failed to produce end user certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in contravention of Section 36 ( 2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act.

    The Customs Area Comptroller, Mr. Frank Allanah, put the import duty value of the two helicopters and their  accessories at N9,757,135,240.86k.

    He proceeded to hand them over to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, at a ceremony at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.

    However, Wike in a statement by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, in Port Harcourt said he officially wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari asking that the two helicopters  which were bought by the immediate past administration in the state be handed over to the Air Force.

    He explained that his decision was informed by the high import duty and the refusal of the federal authorities to grant the State a waiver to clear the choppers.

    The governor said that it was unfortunate that security agencies would resort to political propaganda and outright lies, when the facts about the helicopters are in public domain.

    His words: “These helicopters were imported by the immediate past administration. When I assumed office, we wrote to the Federal government that it was strictly for security use. What am I going to use armoured helicopters for?

    ”In any case, where will the Rivers State Government get money at this time to import armoured helicopters? The previous administration imported it because they had the money.

    ”I went to the federal government to give me a waiver for us to clear the helicopters but the federal government refused.

    ”I wrote a letter to the president and assured him that the helicopters were meant for security purposes, they should be handed over to the Nigerian Air Force.

    ”I am surprised that they have started propaganda and political falsehood on the said armoured helicopters.  What kind of country are they turning Nigeria into?

    ”We stated that we cannot pay the custom duties because the helicopters are not for commercial use. They are to be used to monitor the creeks and track criminals.

    ”I wrote to the president to give the helicopters to the airforce.  It is shocking that the Customs would turn around to claim that they impounded the helicopters.

    “The Chief of Staff to the President admitted that I have done well when I wrote the letter to the President.”