Features
Vanguard Personality Of The Year What A Year!
Chairman, Editorial Board
It was challenging making choices in a year that left you with few options. All the unimpressive issues were thrown up when we were to make the choices, they were clear markers of the sort of year Nigerians had.
When we were not groaning and speculating further increases in prices of petroleum products, we faced daily stories of human beings bombed to death. We got so used to reading about deaths that they were mere statistics, the position it appeared government took. What did it matter if hundreds died in a country of 167 million people and counting?
Those deaths meant more. The statistics were people. Families were fragmented. Lives lost without anyone appearing to care. Nigerians believed less in their country, seeking refuge in primordial enclaves that turned out to be no havens.
Insecurity was a major challenge. Government admitting it was not enough. Are the big budget spenders, beneficiaries of the insecurity, hence they are unwilling to do anything about it?
The same could apply to fuel subsidy which is a scam and a scandal rolled into one. Why is nobody (those who can) willing to deal with the matter? Will they throw up their hands in resignation as the Senate committee probing the despoliation of the pension funds has?
Meaningful change
It was in the midst of these that we found the winner of our Personality of The Year, a choice that would appeal to anyone who craves for meaningful change. He was not chosen for his appeal or popularity, but for the ground breaking changes that he is making in Rivers State, a state that once presented the same challenges that Nigeria faces, particularly security.
Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has through personal decisions that border on the exceptional, made painstaking efforts to develop a State that has resources, but served as den of kidnappers, which was an excuse for not developing it.
Security has improved remarkably and he is still working on it. Schools, hospitals, housing estates, transportation systems and farms of impeccable quality are springing up in various parts of the State.
Like a man in a hurry to get to the next project, he ploughs through the State, giving hope, to the poor, who stop him on the streets and he talks to them, and the women and elderly who are assured of quality free medical services in the hospitals.
Amaechi is a big dreamer and it is obvious that what he has achieved is only a small part of his dreams. Would things have been different if more Nigerians dreamt more? Real dreams for improving the country, not the crass for looting the public vault that is increasingly becoming the primary purpose of governments, instead of the welfare and security of our people, as the Constitution prescribed.
We present to you a young man, just 47, who has dared to dream and the consequences of his dream on Rivers State, now called Rivers of Possibilities. It is a journey we recommend for a new year…
ROTIMI CHIBUIKE AMAECHI:
Statecraft Masters Competing Needs
JIDE AJANI
Eighty-Five years after, a tradition that started in the United States of America, finds a worthy winner in our shores. When in December 1927, Henry R. Luce and Briton Hadden, founders of TIME Magazine, decided to choose a “Man of the Year”, they could never have imagined the universal effect that decision would have on journalism worldwide.
Today, the “Man of the Year” or “Person of the Year” or “Issue of the Year” phenomenon is global.
On the morning of October 25, 2007, 42-year-old Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi headed to Nigeria’s Supreme Court for a judgment on his epic political ambition of claiming the governorship of Rivers State against the contenders he had once been in the same corner.
He was not sure of the verdict nor the impact he would make in Rivers States, and Nigeria, years on. The Supreme Court held that since Amaechi was supposed to be the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate for the April 2007 election, but was illegally shoved aside, the victory of the party at that election be transferred to Amaechi as the rightful candidate. That judgement, after eight years of this Fourth Republic, was a landmark judgment and could not have happened without the doggedness of Amaechi. That, in itself, is a feat; he was sworn-in the following day.
After a gruelling session where Vanguard Editors debated personalities like House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Dame Patience Jonathan, Lady Folorunsho Alakija, The Kidnapper, The Okada Rider and a few other nominees, Amaechi emerged Vanguard Personality of The Year 2012.
Anything special!
So, what were the factors that swung it for Amaechi? He has been governor for about five years so what has suddenly become so starling today that was not in years past? And in an environment of clashing political and socio-economic interests why should a state governor be acknowledged for merely doing what he has been elected to do?
Well, consider this: Within his first year in office, Amaechi established a state of the art primary school, Elekahia Model Primary School, in Port Harcourt. Any governor can build a model primary school but what stands Elekahia out is that it serves as a leveller between the rich and mighty on the one hand, and the poor and very poor, on the other. In order to accommodate more students into the primary schools, the government had to stop the building of the bungalow pattern of Elekahia, to continue with a new storey building design which would be able to take 25 classrooms instead of the usual 14 classrooms, with a standard of not more than 30 students per class – each equipped with ICT facility, internet connection, modern library, science laboratory, football field, basketball pitch, volleyball pitch and Nursery playground among others in a primary school.
Because of these amenities, the rich tried to appropriate it by withdrawing their children from expensive private schools to enrol in Elekahia.
Expensive private schools
It took the intervention of Governor Amaechi to stop the enrolment of children of the rich. He charged that Elekahia was for the poor with a promise to replicate same in every local government area and then every ward in the state.
He has delivered. Indeed, out of 500 new model primary schools being built across all 23 local Government Areas of the state, 254 are hundred percent completed, 92 are fully functional while the others are being furnished and equipped for students to move in. These are cogent and verifiable facts on ground.
The governor’s initial target however ‘was to deliver on the planned total of 750 primary schools by the end of his tenure, but due to the rush and increase in the number of pupils , the government has decided to stop at 500.
This is just a teaser about the Amaechi mystique. Now, governance or statecraft is about the philosophy of creating joy by spreading wealth to the largest number of people within a geographical entity. This relates to using statecraft as a leader to transport a people (in a Third World country like Nigeria) to the next level, just as Lee Kwan Yu did in Singapore.
In their book, POWER, AMBITION, GLORY, Steve Forbes, Chairman, CEO, and editor in chief of Forbes Media, and classics professor, John Prevas, provided intriguing comparisons between six great leaders of the ancient world and contemporary business leaders, setting out basic factors which led to greatness and the lessons you can learn.
Perhaps, Amaechi, a graduate of English of the University of Port Harcourt, who consumes literature like choice cuisine, may have read the book.
STRUCTURES DRIVING VISION
Forbes and Prevas insist that it is not just enough for a leader to have vision but he must put in place structures to effect it. They compared Cyrus the Great and Jack Welch and John Chambers and how their modern businesses were built.
Amaechi put security first. Before he became governor, Rivers State was the high-profile kidnap capital of Nigeria, with Port Harcourt, the kidnap commercial hub.
Development paradigm
Sensing that you can never engage any development paradigm in the absence of peace and security, he sought the help of security experts from Israel.
He established the C4i, an operational code name for the security engagement, with a high security training camp where selected personnel of the police receive first class training.
Then there is the situation room for C4i, where Port Harcourt (it has since been extended to other towns in the state) is kept under a bird’s eye view monitor.
The operation is so swift that any form of criminal activity in the capital is monitored, tracked and can be contained in minutes. That made Port Harcourt an investment hub once again; because it became safe.
BUILD CONSENSUS AND MOTIVATE
The authors also say being a great leader requires knowing how to build consensus and motivate, using Xenophon of Greece, who put aside personal gains to lead his people out of a perilous situation in Persia (the same way Lou Gerstner and Anne Mulcahy did in rescuing IBM and Xerox), as an example.
Since assuming duties as Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum, NGF, Amaechi has been consistent in his position that though most of the state governors are on the same PDP platform with the Federal Government, FG, that does not in any way obviate the reality of enthroning a regime of good governance for the benefit of Nigerians.
Therefore, unlike the seeming cosiness in the relationship between the FG and the NGF over the years (especially the person of the chairman of the forum), a relationship which had made the NGF an appendage of Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Amaechi’s leadership of the body has transformed it into a quasi-check to FG’s whimsical approach to governance.
First is the management of the Excess Crude Account, ECA, and the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF. Whereas the FG has made very forceful arguments for both, the points of reality which Amaechi and the NGF have made clearly flow from the need to ensure that Nigeria operates as a country where the rule of law is entrenched.
Investment decisions
At different fora, Amaechi has made the following arguments: Has the FG showed enough transparency in the way it handles joint ventures with state governments – an example of which is the constitutionally guaranteed management of the Federation Account? Who has the final say in ratifying investment decisions regarding the SWF?
Why should the FG make investments or savings on behalf of state governments? Even in the face of the shambles that Nigeria’s federation operates on, allowing the FG to get away with its continued stance on the ECA and SWF would be a grand violation of the laws of the land.
And NGF points to FG’s continued pillaging of the federal reserves from over $60billion in 2007 to just about $30billion in just about four years. Even the vexed issue of subsidy, the Amaechi-led NGF raised an alarm over how a N240billion scheme which was budgeted for, ballooned to over N2.3trillion. The thread that runs in all of these is consensus building. And you can not build consensus if you do not motivate.
Amaechi could have corralled his colleagues who are largely PDP members to kowtow in a conspiratorial manner, to the whims of the FG. But no! He is standing on the side of the people of Nigeria and not just members or leaders of PDP. Although some dispassionate observers may argue that the NGF is merely posturing, the counterpoise to it is simple: should the forum allow the FG to continue riding rough shod over Nigerians?
Character in leadership
Then there is character in leadership. Using the example of Alexander the great because of his exceptional leadership skills but destroyed through inability to manage phenomenal success, Forbes and Prevas drew a comparison with Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco, who at the head of his business empire lost his head – he is now in jail.
Amaechi, too, has turned Rivers State into a huge construction site. Attempts to draw a parallel between his achievements and other state governors have met with humility from him. Whereas most politicians would not put in context the uneven revenue allocation to states,
Amaechi easily admits that though some states earn more than others, there is a saying in his community that “when an individual receives a part on the back for doing something, he would seek to do more”. He is doing more.
And his choice as Personality of the Year is a pat on the back from Vanguard. Some have even touted him as a possible vice presidential candidate but he says his primary assignment is providing good governance to the people of Rivers.
He is not the first chairman of NGF. But his approach has brought something of a collective which is issue-based and not ego-based. Let us draw a parallel here on the issue of personality and character.
The New Yorker, November 6, 2000, tries to put in context the debates between Al Gore and George Bush for the American presidency viz: “This may explain the paradox that while Al Gore was widely judged the substantive winner of all three of the candidates’ televised debates, and certainly the first and third of them, he lost the battle in the post-debate media echo chambers and, perhaps partly as a result, in the opinion polls. In the final debate, Gore stretched the rules (within the bounds of civility), while Bush complained and turned beseechingly to the moderator for help. Neither attribute is attractive, but it may turn out that fear of the first will outweigh contempt for the second.”
By the same token, therefore, whereas the NGF effuses effluvium of angst which creates public opprobrium, Amaechi’s approach in seeking to situate the agitations of the NGF within the praxis of the need for a larger good for society places him on a pedestal of good leadership. So, while people may be contemptuous of the NGF, Amaechi’s approach creates a shield of inoculation.
THINKING OUT OF THE BOX
Ability to think out of the box is also crucial; and this, according to Forbes and Prevas was demonstrated by Hannibal who crossed the Alps in winter to challenge Rome for control of the ancient world.
The first monorail project in Nigeria would be completed in Port Harcourt soon, very soon. When he decided that the project was worth pursuing, many saw him as going round the bend. Though the chart of the monorail route has bends enroute its terminus, the succour this would bring to the people of the state would be immeasurable.
Ambition: Forbes and Prevas go further to say a leader must have ambition to succeed. Like Julius Caesar who had plenty of it, Amaechi breaths ambitious projects.
Rivers Songhai initiative, a centre for training, agricultural production, research and development of sustainable agricultural practices, is about 20 times the size of the model from Port Novo. The farm project sits on a 314-hectare land in Tai Local Government Area. It is an integrated farm which combines livestock, arable farming, fisheries, snail farming and poultry.
There is also a 2,000-hectare farm in Etche with a total available land space of 3,000 hectares. The farm is projected to cost $140 million. The State is contributing $100m; the investors $40 million. The farm would have 300 farming houses (to accommodate 300 farming families), agro processing facilities, and 3,000 hectares for farming.
These are aside from fish farms in Buguma, Andoni, Opobo and Ubima; not to mention a Banana Farm in Ogoni-100 hectares have been done out of the total of 250 hectares and expansion is still on.
24 secondary schools are being built across the State with facilities that would be the envy of our higher institutions. They are also being built with standard boarding facilities, fully equipped laboratories for all required subjects, sporting facilities etc. In terms of infrastructure, they would compete favourably with any of the state owned universities in Nigeria.
There are 160 Model Health Centres spread across all 23 Local Government Areas in the State and most are already in use. The Free Health Care programme has contributed to a decline in the mortality rate of Rivers people particularly maternal and child mortality as the Health centres are strategically sited to serve every part of the state. Indigenes and residents of the State are beneficiaries to the programme.
David Iyofo, Amaechi’s Media aide, once wondered “how Oga will complete all these projects”. This was in the first two years of the Amaechi administration. Asked two months ago what he now thinks, Iyofo said he now believes more in the saying that “with God all things are possible”.
There is also the Greater Port Harcourt City Project, one that would create a city from scratch that may rival Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Is he not taking too much at the same time?
Tradition of man of the year
According to TIME, The illustrated history of the world’s most influential magazine by Norberto Angeletti and Alberto Olivia, “The first “Man of the Year”, Charles Lindbergh, was named in 1927. The cover featuring his portrait was published in January 1928. The title is always designated in December and the issue is printed in late December or early January. Man of the Year was changed to Person of the Year in 1999.
The first American President selected was Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1932) when he was president-elect. He was chosen twice again, in 1934 and 1941, and he holds the record for the American president who was most often on the cover – in 1932, he was president-elect and was chosen at a time of unprecedented economic crisis; in 1934, for having fervently battled the Depression; and in 1941 for preparing a reluctant United States to join the war.
Interestingly, Adolf Hitler was selected in 1938 and TIME gave it to him because he was “the greatest threatening force that the democratic, freedom-loving world” faced.
When in 1979 the magazine chose Ayatollah Khomeini during the Iran hostage crisis, “thousands of readers sent protest letters”. Because they did not agree with the choice
There may indeed be other Nigerians who may have achieved greatness in the year.
But after a gruelling debate session by Vanguard Editors, especially situating development paradigm in the context of governance and leadership which is a scarce resource in Nigeria, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi emerged as Vanguard Personality of The year, 2012.
Ikeddy Isiguzo
Features
Contributory Pension Scheme: Time For Review
For decades, Nigeria grappled with a pension crisis that left countless retirees in financial insecurity and despair. The unfunded pension system led to delayed payments and inadequate retirement funds, especially for public sector employees. In response, the federal government, under the leadership of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, enacted the Pension Reform Act of 2004, introducing a contributory pension scheme (CPS) designed to overhaul the system and secure a dignified retirement for Nigerian workers.
According to the Pension Reform Act, 2004, Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) is an arrangement where both the employer and the employee contribute portions of an employee’s monthly emolument towards the payment of the employee’s pension at retirement. The CPS covers employees in the public service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory, States, Local Governments and private sector organisations with three or more employees.
Only Judicial Officers, members of the Armed Forces, the Intelligence and Secret Services of the Federation; retirees under any pension scheme existing before 30 June 2004; and employees who had three or less years to retire as at June 30, 2004 were exempted from the scheme.
The objectives of the CPS according to Section 2 of the Pension Reform Act, 2004, are to ensure that every retiree of the Nigerian Public Service receives his/her retirement entitlements as and when due; assist an improvident person to save against old age; and ensure a uniform set of rules and regulations on issues relating to the administration and payment of pension to retirees.
According to Section 85 of the Pension Reform Act, 2014, which effectively repealed the 2004 Act, “All contributions made under this Act shall be invested by the Pension Fund Administrators with objectives of safety and maintenance of fair returns on amount invested”.
Analysts and some retirees have questioned the usefulness of this section of the Act when the retirees are kept in the dark about the investments made with their contributions and hardly reap the dividend of the investment. A group of retirees known as Contributory Pensions Retirees Forum, recently described the CPS as a “modern day slavery; an instrument of economic annihilation of workers to death in abject poverty after retirement.”
According to them, the CPS denies retirees of a lump sum of their money after retirement and dispenses a paltry monthly pension to retirees across the board. They narrated the case of a retiree who served the Federal Government from July 15, 1981 and retired on July 15, 2016 on salary grade Level 14, having worked for a mandatory period of 35 years and attained the maximum age of 60 years.
For all the years he put in, the total balance standing to his credit was N6,745,823.34. Out of this, he was paid 25 per cent which amounted to N1,686,455.84 while the balance of 75 per cent was retained by Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) for investment in the capital market and other large institutions. The retiree has been receiving a paltry sum of N26,703.15 monthly since 2016 till date despite the huge profits declared every year from the investment.
“Unfortunately, the sad part of this is that every day prices of goods and services are on the increase. While workers and retirees under the old scheme – Defined Benefit Scheme had their salaries and pension increased across all levels, we in the CPS are abandoned to our fate. We do not get increase”, lamented a retiree.
A public affairs analyst, Bonny Harrison, described such treatment of the retirees, who spend their active years serving the country as unfair and inconsiderate, noting that such attitude will discourage the people still in service from putting in their best. “They may be lured into bribery and corruption, knowing that the country will not cater for them when they retire”, he opined.
Section 7, Sub Section 1, Paragraph (a) of the Pension Reform Act, 2014 provides that unlike the former Defined Benefit Scheme, the CPS is to be jointly funded by both the employer and the employee. Each worker has an individual Retirement Savings Account (RSA) with a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA).
It also made provision for state governments to migrate to the CPS and stipulates that employees contribute eight per cent of their monthly earnings, and employers add 10 per cent, totalling 18 per cent of the employee’s monthly income. The funds are managed under the oversight of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), with the aim of ensuring transparency and accountability.
Two decades down the road, getting the state governments to key into the scheme has been a Herculean task. Reports show that only about five out of the 36 states in the country have fully complied with the CPS Act. Some have not even enacted their CPS laws while some enacted the law without contributing anything to their workers’ RSA. PenCom and Pension fund operators have reportedly made frantic efforts to have them key into the scheme since 2014 but that yielded little or no results.
A recently retired civil servant in Rivers State narrated that the past governments in the states did not key in fully into the scheme. While the eight per cent of the employees’ salary was deducted, the government failed to contribute its own 10 per cent, thereby making retirees from the state ineligible to benefit from the CPS scheme.
The retiree was however glad that the total amount he contributed over the years was paid to him without any deduction and that the State government has put keying into the CPS on hold. He advised that the state government should not be part of the CPS as it is confusing and not favourable to government workers. “Contributory Pensions Scheme cannot work in our states where the governors run the states like their personal businesses. A governor today may decide to contribute and another governor tomorrow may choose not to. What happens to the retirees in such a situation? He queried.
Low compliance in the informal sector has also been noted as one of the challenges of the scheme. The informal sector, which represents over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce, often lacks the structure or financial stability to commit to monthly contributions. Many informal workers are unaware of the benefits of joining the scheme, highlighting a gap in outreach and education.
Analysts have also observed that fluctuations, especially inflation, often erode the value of retirement savings. Although PFAs invest in various assets, ensuring inflation-adjusted returns remains challenging, impacting retirees’ purchasing power, they said.
They therefore, canvassed for a halt of the CPS or reforms and initiatives to make it effective and worth the while. These include:
Expansion of CPS outreach programmes and incentives, such as flexible contribution options to increase informal sector enrollment; improved awareness and education which will drive greater participation among self-employed and informal workers; increasing transparency in fund management and imposing stricter penalties for misconduct so as to improve public confidence; introducing innovative investment options like green bonds and infrastructure development projects to help pension funds achieve better returns.
Others are: a more aggressive investment strategy that offers inflation-protected returns, benefiting retirees in the long term by PenCom in order to mitigate inflation’s effects, and PenCom offering financial education to pensioners so as to help them manage their funds effectively. PenCom should offer financial planning resources, ensuring that retirees fully understand the structure and benefits of the CPS.
Analysts have also argued that for CPS to succeed and live up to its objective of being a cornerstone of economic stability and prosperity, embodying the hope of dignified and secured retirement for all, PenCom must wake up to her duty of ensuring that the retirees are not short-changed by the pension administrators and that non-complaint employers (that fail to make deductions) as stipulated in PRA 2014 are duly punished.
Calista Ezeaku
Features
Good Governance: Gov Fubara’s Eyes On The Ball Amid Distractions
The administration of Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, commenced on May 29, 2023, after the symbolic swearing-in ceremonies at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt. From that day, Governor Fubara hit the ground running to provide Rivers people strong, focused, purposeful and responsible leadership, prioritising the well-being of the State and its people with a renewed push for economic growth, people-centred infrastructure projects and social services.
The Governor promised pragmatic steps to improve the ease of doing business and sustain a congenial fiscal policy to attract local and foreign direct investments to stimulate greater economic activities, partner with private sector to revive or establish viable industries to create jobs and wealth while encouraging commercial agriculture to achieve food sufficiency, security and improved living standards for residents of the State. He promised to invest in capital infrastructure projects, provide electricity supply and social housing to those in need, partner private sector to develop integrated multimodal public transportation system to advance mass mobility and access to socio-economic opportunities across the State, prioritise healthcare, education, and empower youth with relevant skills and opportunities to become economically active, productive and prosperous.
The Governor also promised to initiate policies to improve earning capacity and incomes of workers; ensure regular payment of wages, pensions, and gratuities; intensify training and promotion of civil servants; support and motivate security agencies to maintain law and order and keep communities, roads, neighbourhoods and waterways protected, safe and secure for businesses, residents, and visitors; while remaining bold and ambitious in decision-making, and resolute in defending, protecting and promoting the collective interest of Rivers State.
Indeed, Governor Fubara has shown capacity through meticulous leadership by diligently fulfilling his promises to Rivers people in all spheres of governance. For instance, in May, 2024, Rivers State Government held Economic and Investment Summit, the first of its kind in Nigeria. The summit subsequently birthed the signing of Executive Order No. 002 of 2024 empowering the establishment of Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency to give impetus to an Investment Agency that will coordinate the barrage of enquiries and business interests expressed by investors who now consider the State a destination of first choice.
Following the signing of the Executive Order, Governor Fubara established Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency to serve as one-stop-shop to handle all-related activities seamlessly for the prosperity and good governance of the State. It is not in doubt that the gains of the Economic and Investment Summit have started yielding results, given the array of investment inflows to the State of recent. Notable among them are the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) between the Rivers State Government, INTEC and OMENE Group of Companies as well as Senendib Capital Limited. The MoU with INTEC and OMENE Group of Companies is for the development of a $300million Waste-to-Wealth project, 200megawatts power plant, smart e-mobility, 20 tons of carbon capture and storage, and other innovations with a view to converting waste to wealth, generate electricity, boost employment opportunities as well as increase the State’s revenue base.
That of Senendib Capital Limited is for the protection and preservation of mangrove forest and ecosystems within the State, and the establishment of a Blue Carbon Credit Partnership, which will aid in tree planting, biochar production with a view to bringing about transformative shift in environmental and socio-economic gains aimed at increasing the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), leveraging the State’s potentials in the Blue Economy. Indeed, there are other private sector investments in such area as agriculture, tourism, culture and arts, among others. Take the ongoing work on Songhai Integrated Farms; Port Harcourt Tourist Beach; and the move to revive Rex Lawson Cultural Centre, as some of those big initiatives.
However, in spite of these laudable achievements, enemies of the State have continued to spin negative media propaganda with the intent of demarketing the State and pitching Governor Fubara against President Bola Tinubu. Only recently, the social media space was awash with malicious reports that Governor Fubara has shut down the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and other oil companies’ operations in apparent retaliation for a Federal High Court judgment in respect of statutory allocations from the Federation Accounts to the State. This deliberate propaganda was published by an online platform: jeestauglahity.net, titled, “Breaking News: Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara Shuts Down NNPC and All Oil Companies in Rivers State, Declares No Allocation for Rivers State, No Oil for Nigeria”. What a hack job!
As if that was not enough, another social media report reared its ugly head, that Governor Fubara has imposed curfew on the State, as a result of the purported death of at least eight Nigerian soldiers in an imaginary gun battle between military personnel allegedly sponsored by former Governor Nyesom Wike, and the ‘forces’ of Governor Fubara, who were protecting Government House from Wike’s invaders. This time, the fake news was concocted by an online platform: https://africachinapresscentre.org, titled, “Heavy shooting, deaths reported as armed men attempt to seize power in Rivers”, authored by one Ikenna Emewu, and also credited to a mainstream newspaper “Daily Trust”. Another hack job, and deliberate attempt to distract, cause panic and chaos.
It is crystal clear that the negative media narratives are from the enemies of the State, who have been working as part of the propaganda machine of detractors of the Governor to paint the State Government in bad light, cause anarchy and destabilise the State. No doubt, these enemies of the State have been recruiting agents to use the media as tool to manipulate public opinion and perception, while also fabricating lies to create the impression that the Governor is at war with the Federal Government, and indeed, President Bola Tinubu, at a time the Governor has been working assiduously in synergy with security agencies to crush illegal oil bunkering, artisanal refining of crude oil and the scourge of pipeline vandalism, in order to help improve oil production for the nation to meet its crude sales obligations as well as continue to maintain the peace in the State.
But despite the negative media spinning and distractions from several litigations, Governor Fubara has continued to demonstrate leadership by remaining focused with his eyes on the ball, delivering good governance in line with his promises to Rivers people.
Governor Fubara has been playing the game in line with the axioms of Tony Robbins: ‘’the more focused you are, the more successful you will be’’. He has surrendered his faith to God, focusing on delivering democratic dividends to Rivers people. Because his eyes have been focused on the ball, the Governor had completed the 10.9km Aleto-Eteo-Ebubu Road; 15.24km Emohua-Tema Junction (Kalabari) Road; 21.5km Egbeda internal roads; 23km Omoku-Egbema dualised road; 27.5km Andoni section of Unity Road; 8.168km Emoh/Iyak/Ighom/Elok and Emoh/Egbolom roads; over 3km Chokocho-Igbodo road; despite the distractions. Conservatively, more than 121.308km roads have been completed and handed over to communities for public use without noise making.
And he is doing more! Only recently, during routine inspection of projects dotted across the State, the Governor gave construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, a marching order to complete the 9.7km Ogbakiri Town road which will connect about six communities in Emohua Local Government Area within the stipulated timeframe of eight months. The project is valued at about N15billion. Already, 30 per cent mobilization fee has been paid. Also, the 33.5km Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku dual carriage road with a river crossing bridge linking Ikwerre-Emohua-Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas is also progressing.
Two major signature projects: the 50.15km Port Harcourt Daul Carriage Ring Road that traverses six local government areas, namely Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Etche, Eleme, and Okrika, is ongoing at six sections of the road; and the 12.5km Trans-Kalabari Road project, is also ongoing. Both projects had been evaded by previous administrations because of their complex and difficult terrains and huge costs. Work is now progressing on both.
Other legacy projects include the over 3km Opobo Ring Road; 12km Okehi-Eberi-Omuma road; 5km Okania-Ogbogoro road; 14.6km Eberi-Umuakali-Omodu Road linking Rivers and Abia states; 13.3km Bori internal roads; and 17.5km Egbeda/Omerelu Road. These have been completed. The Kalaibiama section of the 5.2km Kalaibiama/Epellema Road with spurs has been completed while work is ongoing on the Epellema section with bridge.
Also, the 16.5km Rumuokurusi-Igbo-Etche Road; 25.4km Ahoada/Omoku Dual Carriageway (Phase 2); 15.2km Uyakama/ Obodhi/Ozochi Road; 13.52km Ngo Atlantic-Oyorokoto Road with spurs; and 6.5km Woji-Aleto-Alesa-Refinery link road with 200 meters bridge and many other road infrastructure projects are advancing, even with the distractions. Indeed, the people have high hopes because the contractors have promised to deliver on schedule. More than 257.64km roads are under construction, and almost all are funded from state revenue (IGR and FAAC allocations) without borrowing.
In his bid to decongest the City of Port Harcourt and extend municipal activities to other parts of the State, Governor Fubara, had in August, flagged off the construction of the New Port City in Eleme, Eleme Local Government Area. The New Port City, which is akin to a mega smart port city, is a joint venture between the Rivers State Government and Rainbow Heritage Group Limited geared towards realigning the State with modern developmental realities. This is in addition to the 20,000 housing units project for low-income earners, being executed by the Rivers State Government and Pricewise Home Nigeria Limited/TAF Africa Global at Mbodo, Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area. The project is progressing smoothly and aims at meeting the Governor’s aspiration to provide affordable homes for low-income earners under the social housing policy of the Government.
Governor Fubara is also keeping to his avowed promise to civil servants in the State. In October, he graciously approved the sum of N85,000.00 as Minimum Wage to workers under the State Government employ, and promised that implementation will take effect November, 2024. As civil servants were receiving alert for their November salaries, the new minimum wage was boldly implemented, and the whole State has been in a jubilation mood since then. In fact, the Governor was the first in the nation to pay the new minimum wage to workers, and the impact has been monumental on the lives of Rivers people.
This is as the promotion of civil servants for 2023/2024 is ongoing after the initial promotion that saw Rivers civil servants being promoted to their current grade levels after over 10 years of stagnation. Pensioners are also not left out in the scheme of things as the Governor had increased the N1billion monthly allocation to offset the backlog of pension and gratuity to retired civil servants to N2billion. The move is to clear the backlog as well as ensure effective implementation of payment of gratuities and pensions to retired civil servants. How else do you describe good governance?
Also recently, Governor Fubara donated 100 vehicles to the Rivers State Command of Nigeria Police Force, with the aim of tackling insecurity and boosting response time to emergencies. Sister agencies such as Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others, including military and para-military formations have also received support from the Government. This is in fulfilment of the Governor’s promise to support and motivate security agencies to deliver on their mandate to the people of the State.
Of course, Governor Fubara is keeping to his oath never to renege on his promise to deliver only the best projects to Rivers people and provide standard social services, while utilising scarce resources judiciously for the betterment and overall interest of the people. This is because, since assumption of office, he has, through meticulous and frugal management of State resources, embarked on impactful projects aimed at fulfilling his social contract with Rivers people without the usual pomp and pageantry, and noise making as some publicity-conscious public officials do. Even the BudgIT 2024 Fiscal Performance Ranking put Rivers tops among 35 other states in transparency and accountability, a testament to the Governor’s prudence and diligent application of scarce resources in delivering good governance to Rivers people.
Amid the noise and political distractions, Governor Fubara has truly had his eyes on the ball. He has been focused. He has been committed to the Rivers First project. He believes and is working to achieve a brighter future for Rivers State.
Nelson Chukwudi
Chukwudi is the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor, and writes from Port Harcourt.
Features
Will Drug Trafficking Ever End ?
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
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