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22,430 Repentant Cultists Surrender Arms In Rivers
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said that the state’s amnesty programme witnessed 22, 430 repentant cultists surrender 911 assorted arms to the amnesty committee.
Wike dropped the hint, last Monday, at a Town Hall meeting and accountability forum to mark his administration’s second year anniversary in Port Harcourt.
He stated that the amnesty programme had reduced cult-related violence and other criminal activities in the state.
The governor noted that the programme had also resulted in surrendering 7,661 assorted ammunitions and 147 explosives by the repentant cultists.
Wike stressed that his administration had provided over 150 patrol vans to the security agencies to fight crime in the state.
He said that the state government had also handed over some gun boats to the Nigerian Navy in a bid to patrol and protect the Rivers waterways.
The governor stated that his administration had, in the last two years, made unprecedented investments in infrastructure, which had led to economic boom in the state.
Wike noted that 13 general hospitals in 13 local government areas were undergoing reconstruction with the completed ones awaiting furnishing and inauguration.
‘’We are also completing the regional hospitals started by the immediate past administration, located in Etche and Degema councils to serve as referral centres for secondary and tertiary health care,‘’ he added.
He said that his government had released over $4million to equip and maintain the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) to international standard.
Wike stated that the gesture was to enable it serve as the teaching hospital for the Rivers State University Medical School, pending the construction of its permanent site.
He noted that moribund businesses were gradually re-opening in the state, while fresh local and foreign businesses were being attracted to the state.
The governor disclosed that his administration had cancelled multiple taxation policy in order to enable business to thrive to the benefit of the people and to attract more investors.
“We are also supporting the growth of indigenous entrepreneurs through contracts as well as encouraging small and micro-enterprises with financial support to revitalize local economies,‘’ he added.
Wike said that in the last two years, his administration had invested over N145billion on the construction of roads, bridges, pedestrian walkways and underground drainage systems.
“As we speak, several road construction works are either underway or completed in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Akuku Toru.
‘’Also in Degema, Etche, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Ikwerre, Emohua, Khana, Gokana, Okrika, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Oyigbo, and Tai local government areas of the state,” he said.
The governor pointed out that his administration was improving the quality of education by creating enabling environment for the system to produce graduates with skills and knowledge to drive development.
He noted that 300 primary schools were being refurbished and equipped across the state, while infrastructure at the Rivers State University was being upgraded to ensure successful accreditation of courses.
The governor said that the state government had reconstructed major secondary schools in the three senatorial districts to re-introduce boarding education.
Wike advocated for fiscal federalism in Nigeria where every state could have complete control of its resources and develop at its own pace.
“We must find ways to forgive one another, open avenues of co-operation and join hands together, defeat the smacks of poverty and inequality in our society,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion and former Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Iche Ndu, hailed Wike for his developmental strides.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Kobani, said the Wike administration had made giant developmental strides in the last two years.
Highlight of the occasion was passing of vote of confidence on Wike by the people of Rivers State.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.