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Tag: Rivers

  • Rivers to move fuel tankers from city centre

    Rivers to move fuel tankers from city centre

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has moved to stop indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers on the popular Aba Road in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    The governor said the move would prevent fire disasters and protect the public from losing their property to such accidents since the tankers park in residential and office areas.

    The governor spoke yesterday at a meeting with depot managers, petroleum mangers and leaders of the transport unions.

    He said the state government would work out the relocation of the parking space for the tanker drivers to reduce the traffic gridlock on the route.

    Wike said a joint inspection of the alternative parking space for tanker drivers at Iriebe Park would hold today.

    The governor stressed that tanker drivers were expected to operate a call system that would enable them be in touch with the depots instead of parking on the road.

    He said: “We are taking these measures to forestall accidents or disasters on Aba Road, where these tankers park. Should anything happen on the road, there could be loss of lives and property.

    “We are being proactive by calling this meeting to decongest the road and relocate the tankers.”

    Wike noted that as a long-term measure, his administration would consider relocating the tank farms in the future.

    Ogbonna Onyekachi of Avidor Oil and Gas told the governor that the stakeholders would cooperate with his administration to relocate the tankers.

  • Obuah seeks probe of Rivers’ ‘missing’ property

    Obuah seeks probe of Rivers’ ‘missing’ property

    The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State chapter, Prince Felix Obuah, has called for the probe of the ‘missing’ government property.

    Obuah accused ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi of ‘unwarranted raid’ of government property.

    He urged Governor Nyesom Wike to ensure that the alleged burgled items were recovered and all those who perpetrated such act were brought to book.

    A statement by Obuah’s aide, Jerry Needam, reads: “The PDP says it is not happy that the people of the state have been thrown into this pathetic situation when they do not deserve it, considering the huge resources that have been available to the out-gone Governor Amaechi, meant for the development of the state and empowerment of the people, regretting that rather than appropriating the resources accurately and transparently.”

    He added that “the looted items, even though it is aware that many of them are being sold off by the looters, can be found if there is a dyed-in-the wool effort aimed at recovering them by the Governor and the law enforcement agents”.

  • Discordant tunes trail Rivers CJ Okocha’s appointment

    Discordant tunes trail Rivers CJ Okocha’s appointment

    Mixed reactions have continued to trail the swearing-in of Justice Daisy Okocha as the Acting Chief Judge (CJ) of Rivers State.

    Justice Okocha was at the centre of the CJ crisis that led to the closure of courts in the past one year.

    She was sworn in on Monday by Governor Nyesom Wike at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    While some lawyers, rights activists and civil society groups supported the inauguration of Justice Okocha, others noted that her appointment was too hasty and did not follow due process.

    A Port Harcourt resident, Ezekiel Amiofori, said the reopening of the courts was commendable because it would enable people with cases to have them heard.

    But he said Wike was too fast in appointing the Acting CJ.

    Amiofori said he had no ill-feelings about the appointment, adding that it should have followed due process to avoid the mistakes of the past administration.

    He said: “It is indeed a commendable development that the courts have been reopened after nearly one year. But I have issues with the way the appointment of the new CJ came. It should have been allowed to pass through due process of law to avoid the impunity former Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s leadership was accused of.”

    The spokesman for Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), Livingstone Wechie, hailed Wike for fulfilling one of his campaign promises of reopening the courts and appointing a CJ.

    The activist urged the governor to set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the Judiciary crisis in the state with the view to bringing the culprits to justice and serve as deterrent to others.

    He said: “What happened in the state Judiciary is indescribable. There is joy in the hearts of Rivers people over the reopening of the courts, nearly one year after they have been under lock and key.”

    “You could attest to the high level of jungle justice that has gone on and several other acts of recklessness during the period.

    “While we thank Wike for fulfilling his campaign promises to ensure that the courts are reopened and an Acting Chief Judge appointed for the smooth administration of Justice delivery in the state, we also call on him to set up a commission of enquiry to investigation the crisis that engulfed the state Judiciary, which led to the long-time closure.

    “There must be a proper investigation on the violent attacks on courts across the state. Otherwise, this re-opening of courts, which has brought about celebration, may be sabotaged by maybe any other plan or perceived attacks.

    “Until the issues surrounding the closure of the courts are investigated and those found culpable made to face the wrath of the law, only then will we have the belief that the justice system in the state will no longer be threatened.”

    Also, an indigene of Orashi, Napoleon Adah, congratulated Wike for ensuring that injustice and undue deprivation did not continue in the Judiciary.

     

  • Police parade 162 suspected cultists, 29 ‘robbers’ in Rivers

    •Nine ‘robbers’, two ‘cultists’, two ‘kidnappers’ killed

    The Rivers State Police Command has said it killed 13 suspected criminals in gun battles last month.

    Its spokesman Ahmed K. Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, during the parade of over 200 suspects, including four women, at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

    The suspects are being held for various crimes, including cultism, robbery and kidnapping.

    The police said 162 suspects were arrested for alleged cultism and related activities; seven for alleged kidnap and 29 for alleged robbery.

    They also said nine suspected robbers, two suspected kidnappers and two “cultists” were killed in a gun battle within the period.

    The police said they foiled five kidnap attempts and rescued five kidnap victims.

    A statement yesterday said 34 firearms, 174 ammunition/cartridges, 15 stolen vehicles, four tricycle/motorcycles and N296,760, including N10,000 suspected fake currencies and various shapes and sizes of charms were recovered from the hoodlums.

    The suspects were arrested mainly from Rumuekini, East-West Road, both in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and Chokocho, in Etche Local Government Area.

    The police hailed the public for its cooperation, which it said led to the arrest of the suspects.

    The command called for more assistance for the police.

    It reiterated its commitment to ridding the state of hoodlums.

    The command warned criminals to have a change of heart or face its wrath.

     

  • PDP leaders regroup in Rivers to strategise

    PDP leaders regroup in Rivers to strategise

    Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) leaders yesterday regrouped in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the first time after being displaced by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to strategise for the party’s expected role as the face of the opposition.

    It was at a retreat for the party’s members-elect of the Eighth National Assembly, with the theme: “The role of opposition party in facilitating development and good governance.”

    The retreat was PDP’s very first major brainstorming session since it lost both the presidential and governorship elections as well as its majority advantage at the National Assembly.

    Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who ought to be the special guest of honour at the retreat, stayed away.

    But some party leaders, governors, National Assembly leaders, lawmakers-elect and invited guests turned up to address the gathering.

    The Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, who told PDP leaders to learn from the ruling APC.

    He said APC was classical in opposition, with PDP’s leaders being put on their toes.

    The governorship candidate of the PDP in Imo State during the April 11 election, who was defeated by Governor Rochas Okorocha of the APC, said: “APC was classical in opposition. The members of the party rattled us, put us on our toes and eventually pushed us out of government. We must retaliate and pay them back. To do that, we need teamwork and we must have character.

    “With my 12 years experience in the House of Representatives, I know that opposition is always vigilant. National Assembly members must always come to the chambers. You must find fault where we need to find fault. Whistle-blowing is essential. APC members made noise at every point. You must shout. Nigerians will prefer to celebrate the failure of the PDP and its legislators.”

    The Acting Speaker also stated that in spite of the individual differences of the APC’s House of Representatives’ members, they always presented a common front, lamenting that PDP leaders and members had been complacent over the years.

    He urged the National Assembly members to be courageous.

    PDP Acting National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus declared that it would no longer be business as usual in the party, while asking all PDP members to get set for the challenges ahead.

    Secondus assured that the PDP had what it takes to play its new roles as opposition, thereby facilitating democracy and good governance.

    He claimed that the party’s members were determined to take over the government at the centre in 2019.

    He noted that to re-engineer the party, there was the need for patience, support and partnership among the stakeholders of the PDP.

    Secondus added that there was the need to redeem, reform, restore and reposition the PDP, thereby stopping the blame game and get ready for the challenges ahead, as the main opposition party.

    The acting national chairman urged members of the party to be united, adding that discipline must be enforced, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the PDP, without fear or favour.

    Secondus stressed that genuine repositioning of the PDP was non-negotiable, with the party’s primaries to be handled by the grassroots’ structures, and the best candidates that could win elections emerging.

    He assured that the primaries would also be made less expensive.

    The Senate President, David Mark, in his welcome address, told the National Assembly members-elect and other PDP leaders to gear up for the challenges of opposition.

    Mark stressed that the first test of the PDP would be the ability of its National Assembly members-elect to stand and speak with one voice in the forthcoming elections of the principal officers of the  National Assembly.

    The Senate President said: “We must subject our individual interests for our group interest. In the election of principal officers of the National Assembly, we must vote in one accord. We must know that united we stand, divided we fall.

    “We must take our destinies in our own hands. We must be ready to provide credible, vibrant, determined and focused opposition to the party in power, in a manner that will guarantee development and good governance.

    “In doing so, we must maintain a strong synergy between our members in the National Assembly and the National Working Committee (NWC). The PDP is still a brand all Nigerians know. We just need to reinvent the wheels and move forward.”

    Mark also expressed displeasure about the gale of defection from the PDP to the APC, after the elections, while urging the PDP members to remain steadfast with the ideology of the party.

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who is also the retreat’s Chairman, Organising Committee, in his keynote address, stressed that the outcome of the general elections naturally placed the burden of being an effective opposition on PDP members.

    Ekweremadu said: “In 1999, the PDP had a comfortable majority with 214 seats in the House of Representatives. It peaked at 263 in 2007 and dropped to 208 and 137 in 2011 and 2015 respectively. The loss of a whooping 55 seats in 2011 should have set the alarm ringing in the party.

    “Likewise, our performance in the senatorial elections peaked at 87 seats in 2007 and shrank to 71 in 2011 before crashing to an all-time low of 49 seats in the 2015 general elections. Thus, the loss of 16 senatorial seats in 2011 should have served as a bad omen. Even in the gubernatorial elections, the drop from 28 states, which the PDP controlled in 2003 and 2007, to 23 by 2011 was enough sign that all was not well. It should have served as a catalyst for rescue mission before it plummeted to an unprecedented 13 states in 2015.

    “In the presidential election, the fact that the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, who hardly garnered reasonable votes in 2003 and 2007, polled a whooping 12 million votes on the platform of a brand-new party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in 2011, was a clear handwriting on the wall for us. Whether or not we heeded these warnings is now a subject for sober reflections. Today, we are paying the price for failing to learn from the mistakes of others.”

    He added: “Indeed, being in opposition is not a life sentence for any party. It is an opportunity for soul-searching, self-construction and providing healthy, robust, vigilant, and responsible opposition, which is critical to democratic growth and good governance.

    “The PDP lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly should hold the ruling APC accountable on each of its campaign promises. We should not only hold them accountable in terms of their list of promises, but also in accordance with the timeline they gave in the course of the campaigns.”

    Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, in his goodwill message, noted that the PDP members were determined to recover, while assuring that the party would still bounce back.

    Dickson, who apologised on behalf of Jonathan for his absence, stressed that being in opposition was an opportunity for PDP members to rediscover themselves.

    He added that all the governors on the party’s platform were committed to staying in the PDP and that none of them would move to the APC, as being speculated.

    Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dakwambo, who described himself as the only re-elected PDP governor in Nigeria, stated that members of the party must effectively play opposition roles.

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, urged PDP members to come together and reposition the party.

    His counterpart in Delta State,  Ifeanyi Okowa, noted that the strength of the PDP in moving forward lied with the National Assembly members, who were admonished to work hard and always conducting research to ensure robust debates on issues.

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi assured that the PDP members, especially the federal lawmakers, would always do the needful and rattle the opposition.

    Education Minister Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who described the retreat as timely, stated that there must be internal democracy in PDP, credibility in producing candidates for elections must be upheld, and members of the party should always talk about issues and speak with one voice and placed emphasis on continuous and regular interactive sessions among leaders and members of the party.

    A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, stated that the National Assembly members must ensure fiscal discipline and minimise corruption, be above board, be champions of probity and transparency, slash their benefits and disclose their salaries, as well as having the courage to stand for what is right.

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, urged the National Assembly members to work hard and justify the confidence reposed in them by their constituents.

    The retreat also drew resource persons from other emerging democracies around Africa such as Ghana and Kenya.

  • APC wins 22 council seats in Rivers polls

    APC wins 22 council seats in Rivers polls

    •Protest in Khana as DPP candidate calls for cancellation

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) won 22 of the 23 chairmanship seats in last Saturday’s local government election in Rivers State.

    The State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Chief Returning Officer, Prof Austin Ahiauzu, declared the results last night.

    He said APC won 22 of the 23 local government areas.

    The Returning Officer said the election was peaceful because it was transparent.

    Prof Ahiauzu said APC won 297 councillorship seats in the 302 wards while other political parties won the rest.

    In Ahoada East’s wards 8 and 10, the People for Democratic Change (PDC) was declared winners of the councillorship seats.

    The PDC councilor–elect in Ahoada East’s Ward 10, Mrs. Royal Onukwube, told our reporter that the time had come for people to be elected into positions of power without sentiments about their political parties.

    She thanked RSIEC and APC leadership for not being biased against other political parties that participated in the election.

    She noted that her victory was an indication that RSIEC conducted a transparent election.

    At Khana Local Government Area, the Democratic People Party (DPP) candidate, Comrade Fredick Gogorobari James, urged RSIEC to nullify the chairmanship election in the area for alleged lack of transparency.

    He alleged that APC’s chairmanship-elect, Celestine Akpobari, won with the collaboration of “thugs”.

  • Rivers set for LG election

    The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) is going ahead today with the planned local government election even with a threat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to boycott the polls.

    The election is holding in 22 of Rivers state’s 23 local government areas, except Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni council, where the tenure of the chairman and councillors will end next year

    The PDP is in court challenging the legality of the election.

    While counsel to PDP, Mr.Emmanuel Aguma, claimed the existence of a court injunction against RSIEC from conducting the election, the commission denied the claim.

    PDP, in boycotting the election, accused RSIEC of relying on membership register in place of INEC register to conduct “an illegal election that would end in nullity”.

    The state PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Jerry Needam, described RSIEC’s collaboration as tragic and most regrettable.

    Obuah said the action by the state electoral body amounts to wishing to right an illegality with criminality simply to justify the huge money paid to them by the outgoing Governor Amaechi.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon. Bestman Amadi deplored PDP’s decision to boycott the election.

    He said the PDP is afraid of defeat at the polls as the alleged rigging formula it used during the last Presidential and governorship elections would not work this time around.

    “We, the leaders of APC in the state and at the Local government level are ready for Saturday’s election; we wish the PDP were to be part of the election. But they were afraid of our popularity at the grassroots level,” he said.

    The state Police Command has pledged its readiness to provide security for the election.

    The Command is restricting movement between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. today to ensure a peaceful conduct of the local government election in the state, while guaranteeing adequate security.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), yesterday in Port Harcourt, admonished the state’s electorate not to entertain fear about their safety before, during and after the elections.

  • Rivers denies PDP allegation of misconduct

    Rivers State Government has described as unfounded the allegations levelled against it by the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) published on the website of an on-line medium.

    In the report filed by Jerry Needam, Special Assistant on Media to the State PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah on behalf of PDP, some government officials like the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr George Feyii, the Information Commissioner, Mrs Ibim Semenitari and other government officials were accused of looting and selling of government properties as well as engaging in illegal employment.

    Other allegations levelled against the government officials are that they stole and vandalised some unregistered brand new cars assigned to different departments of government, as well as some equipment for Monorail, Farms, Schools, Hospitals and Government Media Houses.

    Reacting to the report, the Rivers government however stated categorically that “the report as it affects the person of Mr George Feyii, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government and indeed other public officers mentioned in the publication, is totally misplaced, sensational and a blatant falsehood.”

    In a statement issued in Port Harcourt this weekend by the office of the SSSG, it said government decided to respond to “these baseless and frivolous allegations in the realisation that many well-meaning people of the State might be deceived into making mischief out of the many lies already sold to them.”

    The statement, which was signed by Mr Joe Korka-Waadah, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the SSG, expressed the personal disappointment of Mr Feyii with the report and described it as “callous, inhuman and devilish for anyone to have thought of embarking on rudderless voyage of smear campaign against men and women of proven integrity in Governor Amaechi’s government.”

    The statement also frowned at the on-line medium for publishing that kind of report without any attempt to establish the veracity of the story or its source.

    Government therefore called on well-meaning Rivers people to be on their guard and watch out for wolves that are masquerading as sheep in their midst.

     

  • Elders: 2015 polls worst in Rivers history

    The leaders and elders of Rivers State, under the aegis of the Founding Fathers Foundation of Rivers State, have described this year’s general elections as the worst in the history of the state.

    The group, also known as the Rivers Elders and Leaders Council (RELEC), at its meeting yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, noted that politically-motivated violence, which led to the death of many innocent persons and destruction of property worth billions of naira, was not the character of true Rivers indigenes.

    Through its Chairman, Chief Albert Horsfall, a former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), RELEC congratulated President-elect Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the March 28 election.

    But it declined to do same for the “winner” of Rivers governorship poll, Chief Nyesom Wike, apparently because of the cases at the election petitions tribunal, sitting in Abuja.

    The state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, and the standard bearers of some the other political parties, who have filed their petitions at the tribunal, have insisted that the “sham” April 11 poll was massively rigged in favour of Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Horsfall said: “We abhor and condemn every act of violence, including what some people will call mischief. It is not the culture of Rivers State. We want to remind all and sundry that the cradle of Nigerian civilisation is from here. Civilisation entered Nigeria through our shores and it is truly shameful that violence during the last elections was uppermost in this (Rivers) state and those who promoted it and acted it have dragged us to the barbaric stage of life and we reject it and we ask all those who are involved either in promoting the same or projecting it to drop their guns now.

    “This state does not need violence. We need peace, tranquility and security to prevail herein, so that Rivers people and those who are non-Rivers people, who come here for one business or another, will enjoy a peaceable state here and so their businesses.”

    On its demands from the President-elect, who they hinted they would soon, RELEC said they would inform him that the people of the state had always been good Nigerians, adding that they would support his government and work hard to promote peace and tranquility in Rivers.

    He added: “We are good Nigerians and we intend to remain good Nigerians.”

    It urged the people to shun violent politicians, who they said do not mean well for them.

    So, all the violence that has been projected by immature politicians and misguided youths, we expect them to stop and we invite the President-elect to do his utmost to support us in bringing down the element of violent politicking in this state, as one gift he can give to Rivers State, on his assumption of office.”

    RELEC admonished the residents to continue to embrace peace and remain law-abiding.

     

  • Five killed, one injured in Rivers communal clash

    Five persons have been killed and one other critically injured in a communal clash in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    Riot policemen have been deployed in the area.

    The affected Ogoni communities are: Wakama and Kpor.

    Property valued at millions of naira were destroyed in the clash.

    Deputy spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), in a telephone interview last night, confirmed the incident.

    She said the police had begun investigation on the incident.

    But the spokesperson said no arrest had been made as at press time.

    Iringe-Koko urged Rivers State residents to remain law-abiding and always report criminals in their midst to the nearest police stations.

    She assured that the identities of police informants would be well protected.