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Tag: Simeon Nwakaudu

  • 2018 PDP Convention: Wike welcomes delegates

    Ahead of the 2018 PDP National Convention, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has welcomed all delegates of the party to the state .

    In a statement signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Governor Wike assured the delegates of a memorable stay in the state.

    He said: “The good people of Rivers State are most delighted and honoured to play host to the distinguished National Delegates of our great party as we elect our Presidential flagbearer this weekend and collectively work towards rescuing our nation from the brink of collapse.

    Read Also: Buhari meets Anyim, Uduaghan, Marafa in Aso Rock

    “As we gather for this all-important national convention, I assure all delegates of our great party of their security before, during and after the convention. Working with the security agencies and other stakeholders, we will ensure that your stay in Port Harcourt is memorable. ”

    The statement further quoted the Rivers State Governor as saying: “Once again, I welcome all delegates, journalists, observers and other visitors to Rivers State, the Treasure Base of the Nation. While you are here, enjoy the peace, love, cuisine, heritage and hospitality of Rivers State and her people.

    “I pray for journey mercies as you return to your respective destinations. I welcome you.”

    The National Convention of the PDP hold between October 6 and 7, 2018 at the Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

  • Wike pledges peaceful LG poll in Rivers

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers says he has received assurances from heads of security agencies in the state that adequate measures are in place to ensure a peaceful local council poll.

    A media aide to the governor,  Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, in a statement on Thursday quoted Wike as saying that government  would “hold the security agencies professionally accountable should insecurity be experienced in the state in the course of the election.’’

    The News men reports that there are 23 local government areas, 319 electoral wards and 4,442 polling units in Rivers.

    The governor also urged community leaders and members of the public to be alert and report suspicious characters and movements in their neighbourhoods  to law enforcement agencies.

    “Also, the security agencies have definite instructions to strictly enforce the restrictions on human and vehicular movement on Election Day and arrest any person or group of persons that violate this order.

    “All those who have no official business with conducting the election should therefore stay away from the polling units after casting their votes or risk arrest and prosecution,’’ he said.

    According to the governor, there is no legal instrument stopping the conduct of  Saturday’s election in the state.

    “As things stand now, we have no other choice but to conduct the local government election and allow democracy to settle and thrive once again at the grassroots and drive the development of our communities.

    “I can confirm to you that the election will take place as scheduled in all the 4,442 units, 319 wards and 23 local government areas of the state as there is no legal obstacle significant enough to warrant otherwise.

    Read Also: Wike: Fed Govt plans to frame me

    “Let me therefore appeal to all registered voters to turn out in their numbers to vote for the candidates of their choice.

    “This is a civic responsibility you must exercise in order to rekindle the touch of democracy, good governance and accountability in the local government system.

    “I am very pleased with the information that 67 out of the 68 registered political parties have fielded candidates for the election  and are therefore participating,’’ Wike said.

    He expressed happiness with the assurances by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission ( RVSIEC ) that it would conduct free, fair and credible election on Saturday.

    “For us, this is an irreducible minimum and we demand nothing less as government will hold the commission strictly accountable for any act  or omission  that compromise the integrity of both the process and the election,’’ Wike said.

    In a broadcast to the people of  the state,  the governor  had given  reasons for the delay in the conduct of the election.

    “After three years of legal vacillation,  it is now clear that the subject matter or fundamental interest of the claimants in that case has practically been wasted by effluxion of  time.

    “ And whatever remedies derivable by the parties, if any, can only be nominal.

    “While the legal challenge continues, the people of Rivers State are denied their rights to freely elect officers to run the councils democratically.

    “However, as things stand now, we have no other choice but to conduct the local government election and allow democracy to settle and thrive once again at the grassroots and drive the development of our communities,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Thanks, Governor Wike, thanks

    Thanks, Governor Wike, thanks

    MY friend, Simeon Nwakaudu, took exception to almost every single word in my open letter to his boss, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. His reply published on this space last week accused me of misinforming the public on the fate of final year beneficiaries of a scholarship programme inherited by the administration.

    Interestingly, the day his reply was published, this newspaper also carried a report that Wike released $1 million for  the payment of tuition of 28 final year overseas scholars.

    Commissioner for Finance Dr.  Fred Kpakol said the Wike administration was not responsible for their admissions, but found it necessary that the education sector should be taken very seriously.

    Kpakol’s words: “We came and incurred a lot of debts because the previous government, even while it took the students to foreign universities, could not pay their fees.  And most of the students became very frustrated.

    “And as students of Rivers State and government is giving service to all and sundry, the governor felt it was necessary to look into their plights and foster a solution to that.

    “Within the first month, as we came in on May 29, 2015,  on June 10,  the governor released the sum of N200 million to the RSSDA to pay for overseas scholarships because they encumbered a lot of cost and they needed to have a good documentation of the students that are involved.  So, the first tranche of N200 million was paid.

    “On September 29, 2016, the governor released N485, 289,000.00,for part of their tuition fees. After he has done that, he considered it was necessary do an audit to know the students and how they were meeting up.

    “Now, the governor has graciously released the sum of $1 million to pay to nine universities for 28 RSSDA final year overseas scholarships beneficiaries for payment of their outstanding tuition fees. This was done in the midst of biting economy and down trend in the economy of the country.”

    In my piece, which Nwakaudu read upside down,  I asked for the governor’s understanding for the sake of the future of Rivers and Nigeria. I also made allusion to my past critical essays and pleaded they should not form the basis for assessing my plea.

    The main concern of the piece was 16 Rivers indigenes studying medicine at the All Saints University in Saint Vincent and Grenadines. These guys, which I have chosen to address as All Saints 16, found themselves overseas after they went through thorough screening under the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration.

    The RSSDA found these guys worthy of overseas scholarship and sent them abroad. The overseas scholarship covered Medicine and allied courses. It was received after an aptitude test. After this, RSSDA secured admissions for successful candidates and entered into a bilateral agreement with students and the universities.

    The scheme underwent a review after Wike took over. That review led to the suspension of these guys from medical school two months to their graduation. The school had no choice than to take this line of action because of the inability of the Rivers State government to pay outstanding tuition fees and living allowance.

    Their plight made them upload a petition on www.change.org. Through the petition, the All Saints 16 pleaded with the governor to pay their allowance and tuition, which was stopped in November 2014.

    It reads: “We have not been paid our upkeep allowance for about two years and 11 months. Our tuition fees have not been paid for 5 semesters (Clinical rotation [CR2 to CR6]), and as a result of this, all 16 of us were suspended from school in September, 2016 (2 months to our scheduled graduation date of November 2016).

    “Ever since our suspension, we have been staying at home, not being allowed to conclude our remaining elective clinical rotations and all efforts to contact the Rivers State government for the release of funds proved abortive.”

    One of the All Saints 16, Promise Adimele, spoke with our award-winning star reporter Hannah Ojo. He was full of lamentation: “Feeding has been very difficult as we rely on the charities of friends and school colleagues. Most landlords have evicted us from their houses due to non-payment of rent and threatened us with legal proceedings in order to recover the outstanding rent. Life has been tough and unbearable for all of us since we were abandoned by the Rivers State government and RSSDA.”

    In my ‘offending piece’, I quoted a letter dated July 16, last year, which the RSSDA wrote the school’s management to announce changes to the scheme.

    It reads: “The point that needs to be emphasized here is that we will only sponsor students that are completing their studies in 2016 as well as settle outstanding commitment to date.

    “Kindly be assured that the outstanding tuition payment for our students in your school have been adequately captured in the list of payables that are on the front burners of the Rivers State government. We will plead strongly with you to continue to show understanding and to kindly allow a little more grace and period specifically for the 16 final year students who also fall in the category of students that the government has pledged to continue their sponsorship.”

    The letter, which was signed by Mr Lawrence Pepple, the Executive Director/CEO of the RSSDA, shows that the All Saints 16 still fall under the category the scheme is willing to sponsor.

    Hannah’s attempt to get the reaction of Rivers Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Kenneth Kobani, saw him blaming it all on Amaechi, who Nwakaudu described as The Nation’s ‘second benefactor’.

    “You are from The Nation newspaper. Have you asked the APC zonal leader who was governor who refused to pay the fees of these children since 2014?  When you ask him you can come to us and ask us what we are doing,” Kobani told Hannah and hurriedly hung the phone.

    Unlike Kobani, Commissioner for Information Emma Okah made a lot of sense in explaining the situation to Hannah.  He alluded to the bad economy, which only a dead person, would not have felt in the last two years.

    Okah told Hannah: “For those who are in final year pursing speciliased courses like medicine, the state government planned to pursue their welfare to the extent it can take. Some people have been coming and cases have been dealt with on merit. I do not know what has happened to these set of students.  I am just hearing it for the first time today.”

    He said it was baseless to feel the students were abandoned on the assumption that they are children of political opponents.

    I ended the piece by pleading on behalf of Adden Babeye Paul  (Asari/Toru), Amaechi Promise Adimele (Oyigbo),   Amadi Udochukwu Junior (Etche), Maakai Baribor          (Gokana), Precious Wifa (Khana), Baritore Princewill Ikpe   (Tai),Victor West Kpelene (Tai),  Nsiipu Namene Nsiipu (Tai) and other final year RSSDA scholars, for an arrangement to be worked out for them to earn their degrees.

    I feel happy that these guys will earn their degrees and be in a better position to lift our world.

    My final take: What more is there for me to say? Thanks your Excellency; thanks for being a listening governor. Thanks for hearing our cries.

     

  • Wike sacks Special Advisers

    Wike sacks Special Advisers

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Monday relieved all his Special Advisers of their appointments except one.

    A statement by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, said only the Special Adviser on Religious Affairs, Bishop Winston Iwo was retained.

    NAN recalls that the governor had earlier sacked the state’s Executive Council on June 24.

    The governor, who has less than two years into his first tenure, is yet to re-appoint new commissioners.

  • Wike wants true federalism

    Wike wants true federalism

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers in Port Harcourt on Tuesday called for true federalism in Nigeria to enable each part of the country to develop according to its ability.

    The governor  made the call when he hosted the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr William Symington, the governor’s  Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, said in a statement.

    He explained that Rivers people wanted true federalism because they wanted a country where all the federating units were allowed to develop according to their resources.

    Wike said that the demand for true federalism meant that Rivers people believed in one united Nigeria, where no section was denied the control of its own resources.

    He urged the U.S. Government to set up a visa office in Port Harcourt to cater to the South-South and the Southeast geo-political zones.

    “We are clamouring for true federalism, when you talk of true federalism, they think you don’t want to be part of the country.

    “We talk about true federalism as practised in America, a true presidential system where all the federating units will be allowed to enjoy their resources and contribute to the centre,” Wike said.

    He said the people believed that there must be a country called Nigeria in which  everyone  would work together to achieve unity and progress.

    The governor said Rivers people sought to be treated with equity, fairness and justice.

    He said that the right framework should be established to ensure that all the states excelled at their own pace.

    Wike said that the visa office would be in the spirit of equity and justice as the Abuja office served the North, while the Lagos office served the South-West.

    He said Rivers  was safe for investments and promised that  his administration would partner investors to enable them to benefit from their investments.

    “Forget about the media propaganda, this state is an opposition state, therefore don’t expect them to say it is the best.

    “But we are the best state, we are doing everything to ensure that investors  do profitable business under the ambit of the law,” the governor said.

    The ambassador commended Nigerians for their unity  and added: “Nigeria will be great and I expect a super power and a super partner.”

  • Rerun election: Rivers denies ‘bribing’ INEC officials

    Rivers State government on Tuesday denied that Governor Nyesom Wike allegedly spent N111million to bribe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff during the December 10, 2016 rerun legislative election in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a panel constituted to investigate the electoral and other offences perpetrated during the rerun election alleged that it recovered N111 million from 23 INEC officials.

    The Chairman of the panel, Mr. Damian Okoro, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, 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 Wike, while the remaining officers received N15 million each.

    The Special Assistant to the Rivers Governor on Electronic Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, said the allegation was false and politically motivated.

    Nwakaudu said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the police allegation was aimed at diverting attention from the real issues about the election.

    “The statement is patently false, politically motivated and cooked by the police to justify the violence they visited in the people of Rivers State during the rerun,” he said.

    According to him, Governor Wike did not spend N360 million to rig the election.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, did not spend N360 million to rig the rerun legislative elections of December 10, 2016.

    “The people of Rivers State overwhelmingly voted the PDP across the state because of the outstanding performance of Governor Wike since May 29, 2015, Nwakaudu said.

  • Wike dissolves 3 LG caretaker committees

    Wike dissolves 3 LG caretaker committees

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has dissolved the caretaker committees of Degema, Khana and Gokana Local Government Areas.

    This is contained in a statement by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, saying that the dissolution of the three councils followed the expiration of their tenures.

    The governor directed the affected Caretaker Committee Chairmen to hand over to the most senior civil servants  in their respective local government councils.

    It will be recalled that at the time the three caretaker committees were appointed, the extant law allowed for a three-month tenure.

  • Wike berates Police for being partisan

    Wike berates Police for being partisan

    • Calls on NBA to serve as the conscience of the nation

    The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has berated the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for being partisan and taking sides in an internal party squabble by deciding to execute an interim injunction on the PDP National Convention when there was a judgment directing the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to provide security for the August 17, PDP National Convention.

    The Governor made this known at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference on Sunday Night, observing that there was no reason for the police to have resolved to execute the interim order of Justice Okon Abang in a suit where it was not a party, neither was it served with the order delivered late in the evening of Tuesday, 16th August, 2016.

    He described the action of the police as scandalous and undemocratic, saying that there is no explanation for what they did to the PDP because they were allegedly obeying orders from above.

    In a statement signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, the governor said:  “The Honorable Justice Okon Abang sat until about 1700 hours, took a short break, and delivered his controversial judgment at about 1800 hours. At which time the Convention venue had already been sealed by a large contingent of security personnel personally led by the Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP) and the State Director of the Department of State Security (SDDSS).  The question is: when was the enrolled order prepared, vetted, signed, served and or transmitted to the Police in Port Harcourt for enforcement in a matter in which they were never sued or joined as parties?

    “And because a PDP convention must be prevented from holding, the lives and property of Rivers people became inconsequential in the reckoning of the CP and the SDDSS.

    “That was why in their desperation to enforce an insidious “order from above” they threw caution to the wind, and against every sense of rationality, mobilized the entire fleet of Armored Personnel Carriers and other operational vehicles from other parts of the State to the Port Harcourt Civic Centre just to prevent a harmless party meeting from holding, and in the process left an entire State literally exposed and vulnerable to the mercy of criminals. For us, there is nothing surprising about the treacherous actions of the CP, the SDDSS and their collaborators.”

    Governor Wike said that as far as Rivers State is concerned, the Federal authorities only consider partisan interests when issues of security are on the table. He said that as such, Federal Security Agencies regularly transfer senior security officers with partisan consideration in mind.

    According to Governor Wike, “in Rivers State, politics and partisan considerations now determine the posting of senior security officers to the State. In particular, having signed-in onto the unholy conspiracy to undermine our administration, the Security High Command in Abuja prefers to make deployments that are intended to shore up the political fortunes of a degraded political opposition at the expense of providing effective security cover to the State and its people.”

  • Rivers demolish cultists’ hideouts

    Rivers demolish cultists’ hideouts

    • To build police stations, barracks on lands recovered from the cultists

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has directed the immediate demolition of property acquired through the crimes in line with the state anti-kidnapping and cultism law.

    The Governor reiterated his offer of amnesty to cultists and kidnappers who submit their arms to the state security agencies and commit themselves to honest living.

    Speaking in a statement signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, the Governor in a company of soldiers and policemen supervised the demolition of the home and hide out of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area notorious suspected cultist and kidnapper, Munachim Ihunwo in Rumuolumini community.

    The governor stated that his administration has zero tolerance for cultism and kidnapping. He said any suspect arrested will face the full weight of the law.

    He informed that the arrested suspect and his boys have terrorised Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, creating insecurity in the commercial zone of the state.

    He said: “The Rivers State Government has taken over the criminal hideout of these arrested cultists. After the ongoing demolition of their hideout, we will build a police station and mini barrack in this location. We have also taken over the home of the kingpin that we have also demolished.

    Wike demolishes“This is to let members of the public know that this administration is serious. We will not allow anyone to cause insecurity in this state. We will chase criminals to their hideout and recover crime.”

    Speaking further, Wike said: “Let them submit their arms and we will give them amnesty.”

    The governor declared that the state government will continue to demolish the homes and hideouts of confirmed cultists and kidnappers to serve as a deterrent to would-be cultists and kidnappers.

    He commended the combined team of soldiers and policemen for effectively fighting criminals in the state, while Wike appealed to the people of the state to continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing relevant information that will lead to the arrest of hardened criminals.

    Briefing Governor Wike on the operation that led the operation that led to the capture of the suspected notorious cult kingpin, Lieutenant Colonel AC Unaogu informed that Munachim Ihunwo runs a camp with 200 armed criminals. He noted that the security agencies are working round the clock to locate the camp.

    The Lieutenant Colonel said that the cult kingpin and his boys were captured in their hideouts, which has a shrine with human skulls. It was learnt that the demolished home of the cult kingpin also has a tunnel and shrine with human skulls.

    Wike directed the Special Adviser on Lands, Anugbum Onuoha to initiate the process for the government to acquire the lands hitherto owned by the suspected cultists.

  • Wike dissolves Local Govt Caretaker Committees

    Wike dissolves Local Govt Caretaker Committees

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has dissolved all the  23 Local Government  Caretaker Committees with immediate effect.

    A statement  issued by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media,  directed the Caretaker Committee Chairmen  to hand over to their respective Heads of Personnel Management, HPM.

    The governor  also directed  the  HPMs   to immediately  compile list of staff being owed  salaries. He directed that the  list,  including  the number of  months owed to  the  workers  by the  respective councils   be  submitted  to  the  office  of  the  Governor  with immediate  effect.