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Tag: Rivers

  • I’m still Rivers governor, we will appeal – Wike

    I’m still Rivers governor, we will appeal – Wike

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State whose election was nullified on Saturday will appeal against the judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal.

    He disclosed his decision to newsmen at the Port Harcourt International Airport, on arrival from Abuja.

    “ What I can say is that the tribunal has given it own verdict, but we know that by the special grace of God, that is not the verdict of God. Nobody can take your mandate, “ he said.

    According to Wike, his lawyer will appeal against the judgment and if need be, the case would get to the Supreme Court.

    He said he was convinced that he had a good case, noting that in Lagos, one of the grounds that the PDP governorship candidate went to court was the issue of card reader.

    “So, I want to urge you to be calm and be peaceful; I am still the governor of Rivers State.

    “Our lawyers are going on appeal; we are all going on appeal. There is also the Supreme Court. We believe that we have a good case, “ he said.

  • Wike: Rivers APC hails tribunal’s judgement

    Wike: Rivers APC hails tribunal’s judgement

    The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the judgement of the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which on Saturday annulled the election of Chief Nyesom Wike as the winner of the April 11, 2015 governorship poll in the State.

    In a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya immediately after the Tribunal judgement on Saturday, the APC said the election in Rivers State was a sham and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erred in declaring Wike governor.

    “ We repeat that there is no way under the heavens that Chief Wike can beat our candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, in a free and fair election.

    “ Though, we were expecting total ban of Chief Nyesom Wike from further participation in the politics of Nigeria seeing the orchestration of the number of death of Rivers State people in order for him to be installed as a Care-Taker Governor all the same we thank the Justice Mohammed Ambrusa-led Tribunal for restoring hope to the downtrodden people of Rivers State who have borne the brunt of Wike’s illegal and visionless administration in the past five months” the party stated.

    “We thank the Tribunal for allowing itself to be used by God to uproot the impostor governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who has these past five months brought monumental suffering to our people in cahoots with some mischievous and misguided politicians whose only understanding of governance is blackmailing and the looting of our common patrimony,”

    The APC lamented that “Wike’s tragic entry into the Brick House seat of power has only succeeded to bring back criminality in various forms in the once peaceful Rivers State as kidnapping, robbery and organised crimes have being on the increase since his evil arrival.”

  • Wike: PDP to appeal tribunal’s judgment

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has indicated plans to appeal the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which on Saturday ordered fresh governorship election in the state within 90 days.

    Reacting to the judgment delivered by Justice Suleiman Ambrosa, Counsel to the PDP, Chris Uche, SAN, declared that Governor Nyesom Wike remains Governor until the appeal processes are exhausted.

    According to him, the nature of the judgment delivered by Justice Ambrosa-led Tribunal makes appeal necessary as the new position adopted by the tribunal must be tested in the interest of justice.

    Uche noted that the tribunal’s reliance on card reader accreditation to nullify the governorship election when evidence was led by both the Respondents and the petitioners that both card reader and manual accreditation were used for the election requires testing at the Court of Appeal.

    He said it was shocking that less than 24 hours after lawyers on all sides submitted nine written addresses and documents, the Tribunal sent notice that judgment would be delivered on Saturday morning.

  • Reading of Rivers guber election tribunal judgement on

    Reading of Rivers guber election tribunal judgement on

    Reading of judgement by the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal is on in Abuja.

    Proceedings started at about 10 am.

    More details soon.

  • Rivers APC, PDP disagree on Amaechi’s ministerial screening

    Rivers APC, PDP disagree on Amaechi’s ministerial screening

    The Rivers State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disagreed on the nomination of ex-Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, for ministerial screening by the Senate.

    APC, through its Rivers Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, on Saturday in Port Harcourt, declared that PDP members have been resorting to Internet fake news to blackmail the Senate against Amaechi’s screening

    It noted that whether the PDP members liked it or not, Amaechi, who was the Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, would be screened next Tuesday and confirmed by the Senate.

    PDP, through its Rivers Chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, however, described as baseless, laughable, childish and mere ranting, the APC’s defence of the former Rivers governor’s ministerial nomination.

    APC said: “It has come to the notice of the Rivers State chapter of the APC that Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP, in their failed bid to ensure that the Senate does not screen Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, have now resorted to publishing counterfeit news items through their sponsored Internet news outlets.

    “Some of the PDP internet outlets is Nigeriana.org, with a fake story headlined ‘APC Ministerial Crisis: ‘Screen And Confirm Me or Refund My Money’ – Angry Amaechi To APC Leaders.’ Another of such fake story is by the notorious PDP Scannewsnigeria.com with a headline: ‘Ministerial Screening of Buhari’s Sponsor: EFCC arrests Minority Leader as FG intimidates PDP Senators.”

    “In both online publications, agents of Governor Wike and the PDP tried to justify the huge funds the Rivers State Governor is providing to them by concocting wild, pedestrian stories in form of news, which are put out to unsuspecting and gullible online readers.

    “These online outlets have in the past concocted many fake news stories, purporting such stories to be based on interviews with the former governor, that actually never held; they also claimed to have talked with close associates of the former governor, who they fail to name, just because confidentiality of sources is a right accorded to journalists under the law.

    “Again, they continue to indulge in their malfeasance, because most online readers often fail to see through such false stories and the sinister motives of those behind them.

    “It is important to emphasise that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi did not speak with any journalist as stated in the Nigeriana.com story under reference. He also did not, at anytime, hold any discussions with associates, friends or any person/persons over the matter of his Senate screening at any time and certainly did not and still does not have reasons to discuss such issues with anyone, along the lines expressed by the shameless online publication. Former Governor Amaechi is at peace with himself and God. “

    The Rivers PDP, however, noted that the APC’s alleged indefensible, laughable, and recourse to tendentious gossip, in an attempt to protect Amaechi, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), according to the party, amounted to glorifying corruption.

    Rivers PDP said: “With the historic woeful defeat of the APC in the state, which it ran to total bankruptcy and near collapse notwithstanding, the huge internally-generated revenue and accruements from the federal allocations, it is commonsense to fathom why they insist in remaining in office to cover up their loot.

    “Failure to do so explains why the APC in the state and those strangers who assisted in the looting spree, are wrapped in total confusion that is ravaging the party, leaving their members disorientated as being expressed in hollow press statements and ranting.

    “Amaechi would not in anyway be an asset to President Muhammadu Buhari and lacks the integrity and morality to speak for Rivers people.”

  • Abductors of Rivers teachers demand N25million ransom

    The abductors of two teachers of Rundele High School including an NYSC member who was suppose to pass- out Thursday and the school labourer in Emohua Local government of Rivers State have demanded a whopping ransom of N25million for the four people under their custody.

    The leaders of Agba-Ndele Community Thursday confirmed the news of the ransom which they said was made through the Vice Principal of Rundele High School, Mr. Anthony Ovodo and Chief Christian Iroanwuri.

    But the community which spoke through the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC) Elder Ikechi Chimezie said the community cannot get such a huge amount of money considering the harsh economic condition of the people.

    He pleaded with the kidnappers to consider the plight of the victims and release them unconditionally, adding that none of the victims or community leaders has enough cash to pay such huge amount of ransom.

    Some of the NYSC members who spoke to The Nation Thursday during batch C passing-out parade in Port Harcourt said the issue of abduction of corps members serving in Rivers State is becoming alarming. They however demanded for unconditional release of their colleague.

    A corps member, Emmanuel Baba, Accounting graduate said, “I felt so sad when we heard about the news of his kidnap. We were doing counting and everybody was jubilating when the news broke. We are praying to God and calling on the kidnappers to release our colleague unconditionally.”

    Another corps member, Ononogbo Chibuike, a Mathematics graduate said, “The government should provide adequate security in all the corpers’ lodge. Sometimes they post us to places where we cannot understand their security challenges. I want to beg the government to assist in the release of the kidnapped corps member.

    But Nigerian Democratic Awareness Forum, a non- governmental organization in the state said the NYSC state Secretariat has not show any seriousness in creating awareness about the kidnapped corps member.

    The leader of the group, Comrade Prince Obiajunwo Dike stated this while reacting on the abduction the corps member.

    He accused the NYSC state Director of showing lackadaisical attitude over what he described as a serious matter.

    “We are not happy over the nonchalant attitude of the NYSC state directorate; they have done nothing to create awareness to the public or the government for the freedom of the corps member serving in Rivers State. We will not take it for granted if by this weekend NYSC fails to show a serious concern.”

  • 66 Rivers communities benefit from NYSC

    About 10,000 residents in 66 communities of Rivers State were beneficiaries of the three- day free medical outreach by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), for rural dwellers.

    The state Co-ordinator of the NYSC, Ngozi Nwatarali, spoke at an event to flag-off the programme on Monday.

    Held at Ozuoba community of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area(LGA), of the state, Nwatarali said the outreach tagged “Health Initiative for Dwellers(HIRD), is the brainchild of the Director-General of NYSC, Brig-Gen. J.B. Olawunmi to provide health care intervention to members of the public especially those in rural communities where health facilities are rare and access to affordable, efficient and effective health care is not.

    According to her, the programme is also part of the DG’s four point agenda to increase the visibility and capability of corps member to deliver more service delivery, thereby impacting directly on the people they serve in their midst.

    The State Co-ordinator assured the members of the state of the readiness of NYSC managers to contribute their quota in the governments’ efforts to providing prompt intervention to their health care needs, and call for stronger supports from their partners and stakeholders in terms of provision of drugs and resources needed to carry on the programme round the communities.

    “HIRD is a health initiative of NYSC DG Brig-Gen. J. B. Oluwami to provide affordable and timely health care intervention for larger populations of the country’s rural dwellers who lacks access to basic medical amenities due to their location.

    “The presence of the NYSC in all the nooks and crannies of the state will be leveraged on to achieve this. Hundreds of corps medical personnel as well as other corps volunteers have made themselves available to ensure the success of this programme in all the LGAs.

    “In the next three days of the HIRD programme in the state, a total of 66 communities will benefit from the health care service of this patriotic Corps members. At the end of programme, it is expected that over 10,000 rural dwellers would have received one firm of medical attention ot the other across the state.

    “Adequate manpower, logistics support as well as drugs have been mobilised to three communities in each LGA of the state.

    “At each location, the Corps doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, and other paramedical and corps volunteers will carry out HIV/AIDs test, eye test, malaria, hypertension, diabetes tests, counselling and treatments as the case may be and even give referrals where necessary.”

     

     

     

     

  • Rivers N53bn cash not “missing”, says Amaechi

    Rivers N53bn cash not “missing”, says Amaechi

    Former Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said no N53billion cash was missing during his tenure.
    He said the funds were from the Rivers State Reserve Fund which was duly approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
    He accused Governor Nyesom Wike of resorting to last ditch effort to scuttle his nomination as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.
    The ex-governor, who is now a ministerial nominee, made the clarification in a statement by his Media Office on Wednesday night in Abuja.
    The statement said: “The attention of the media office of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has been drawn to a statement credited to the chairman of Mr. Nyesom Wike’s invidious panel of inquiry.
    “The statement credited to the panel’s chairman Justice Omeriji of a “missing” N53 billion is unfortunate and leaves much to be desired.
    “The mischief is all the more evident as the funds referred to are funds from the Rivers State reserve fund which was duly approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly and whose expenditure were duly captured and accounted for.
    “Ordinarily we might not have responded to the mischief of Mr. Wike knowing that having failed with his various desperate tactics to stop the nomination of the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as a minister he has embarked on this last ditch effort which is his trump card in the hope that it will diminish the former governors towering stature as a statesman and honest Nigerian.”

  • Police warn against anti-Amaechi protests in Rivers

    Police warn against anti-Amaechi protests in Rivers

    •Group hails Amaechi’s ministerial nomination

    The planned protest by supporters of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike against the ministerial nomination of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi has been shifted from Abuja to Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    The leadership of Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday kicked against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members’ planned “show of shame” while Police Commissioner Musa Kimo warned both parties.

    The protest by Wike’s supporters was initially billed for Abuja on Monday, ahead of yesterday’s reading of list of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 21 ministerial nominees, but was shelved, when The Nation leaked the information on Sunday, following an exclusive security report.

    The Rivers State PDP had allegedly concluded plans to protest Amaechi’s nomination and clearance.

    APC leaders and members from the 23 local government areas were holding an emergency meeting last night at the party’s headquarters on Forces Avenue, old Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, on how to support Amaechi’s nomination and clearance.

    The party’s Publicity Secretary Chris Finebone could not be reached for comments last night.

    A chieftain of the party, who attended the strategic meeting but spoke in confidence, said APC’s supporters wanted to prove to Wike and the PDP that they did not have the monopoly of protest.

    He said APC wanted to show its solidarity with Amaechi, who he described as “the General of Commonsense Revolution and the Lion of Niger Delta”.

    But in a statement by police spokesman, Mohammad Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Police Commissioner Musa Kimo confirmed the allegation and APC members’ alleged plan to tackle PDP’s protest.

    The statement added: “Accordingly, the police commissioner hereby warns these groups to jettison the plan to stage the protests to avoid truncating the existing peaceful co-existence in the state. While the command respects the individuals’ rights to peaceful assembly, it will not tolerate a situation where such protests lead to breach of public peace and breakdown of law and order…”

    Also, the Rivers Progressives Front, a body of senior politicians and professionals in Rivers State, has hailed President Buhari for nominating former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a minister.

    In a statement by its Administrator, Sotonye Ijuye Dagogo, the group said: “The nomination of former Governor Amaechi among other tested progressive leaders is an eloquent statement by Mr. President that the change that Nigerians voted for has come to stay. It is a bold and unmistakable statement that Mr. President is very clear about his mission to reposition our great country, Nigeria. It is a statement that puts to shame professional blackmailers and smear campaigners.”

     

     

  • Rivers: Wike closes case without testifying

    Rivers: Wike closes case without testifying

    •Magnus Abe hopeful of victory, as parties adopt final addresses Oct 9

    Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike closed his case yesterday before the state’s governorship election tribunal in Abuja without his personal testimony.

    Wike, who called 24 witnesses within the six days allocated to him by the tribunal, is the 2nd respondent in the petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dakuku Peterside.

    APC and Peterside are challenging the outcome of the last governorship election in Rivers State, which produced Wike as the governor. Other respondents in the case are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Wike’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Wike’s many supporters, who attended yesterday’s proceedings and had expected his presence, were disappointed when the governor’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) announced the closure of his client’s case.

    The governor did not call any witness yesterday, but only tendered documentary evidence, some of which petitioners’ lawyer, Akin Olujinmi (SAN) objected to their admission by the tribunal. He said he will state the reason for his objection in his final address.

    Wike had, on Monday called a former INEC’s National  Commissioner,   Christopher  Iyimoga, who testified that contrary to the assertion of the petitioners’ witnesses, the  governorship election in the state was free, fair and was without any violent incident.

    The last respondent, the PDP, will open its case on Thursday. The tribunal headed by Justice Mohammed Ambrosa adjourned to Thursday following a request to that effect by the party’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), who also said he was comfortable with the deduction of today (Wednesday) from the six days allocated to his client to conduct it’s case.

    Meanwhile, the state’s legislative election petition tribunal has Adjourned to October 9 for parties in the petition addresses by parties in the petition challenging the election of Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Senator representing Rivers South East senatorial district.

    The petition was filed by the APC and its candidate in the election, Senator Magnus Abe. The petitioners want the tribunal to nullify election on the grounds that it was marred by malpractices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

    The tribunal chose the October date after it concluded trial in the case on Monday.

    Abe, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), while speaking later, expressed confidence in the ability of the judiciary to do justice in the case.

    He said the level of violence and malpractices unleashed on his senatorial district during the election prevented many electorates, including himself, from voting.

    Abe said: “We have closed our case. We thank God for giving us the opportunity to ensure that the case is heard because there were many interlocutory applications filed by the respondents to ensure that the case was not heard within the stipulated period.

    “The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. There was no other possibility of us getting redress anywhere apart from the courts. This is where we ought to be and this is where we are.

    “We believe in the judiciary Our case is that what happened in Rivers State was that there was no election. We don’t believe in the exercise that took place in the last election.

    “It was not the basis under which anybody could hold office in Rivers State. There was no election in Rivers State and as a serving Senator, I did not vote in any of the elections conducted in 2015. Contrary to reports, we didn’t withdraw from the election, there were no result sheets,” Abe said.