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We’re Set For Rivers Re-Run Poll, ’Morrow -INEC …Wike’s Victory Shows Acceptance -Obuah
All is now set for the conduct of the supplementary election in four local government areas of Gokana, Opobo/Nkoro, Ahoada West and Abua/Odual, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), tomorrow, to determine the remaining seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Consequently, the commission has assured that it was 80 per cent ready to conduct the supplementary election in four State Assembly Constituencies in Rivers State.
The INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Rivers State, Mr Edwin Enabor, who gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen at the commission’s head office in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said that the sensitive electoral materials were inspected with the participating party agents at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
He said that the distribution of materials to the affected constituencies had commence, yesterday.
According to Enabor, the commission will mainly use its permanent staff and some students of the University of Port Harcourt as ad-hoc staff to conduct the exercise.
“So far so good; we are almost at 80 per cent ready. We have done training for the ad hoc staff, particularly the supervisors, while training for Presiding and Assistant Presiding Officers are ongoing.
“We have done the stakeholders meeting. The security committee had met at the local government level where the supplementary election will hold,” he said.
The INEC head of voter education and publicity stated that the commission would make use of results transmitted to its national server and accreditation from the smart card readers.
He urged the electorate in the affected constituencies to be peaceful and allow INEC to conclude the conduct of the election in the state.
A statement by the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Barrister Festus Okoye, in Abuja, had earlier said that 261,683 registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise in 106 polling points, spread across 467 polling units in 45 wards of the affected local government areas.
The statement indicated that the decision to conduct the supplementary election in the affected areas follows a careful review of the March 9 State House of Assembly election in the state.
According to Okoye, “However, supplementary election will be held in the following areas on Saturday, April 13, 2019, in line with the timetable released by the commission: Gokana, Opobo/Nkoro, Ahoada West and Abua/Odual”.
He noted that in Gokana, 129, 086 registered voters would be expected to vote during the exercise in 219 polling units cut across 17 wards, while in Opobo/Nkoro, 7,344 registered voters are expected to vote in 20 polling units spread across five wards.
The INEC director of voter education also explained that in Ahoada West, 36,692 registered voters would vote in 47 polling units cut across 10 wards, while in Abua/Odual, 88,561 registered voters were expected to turn out to vote in 181 polling units cut across 13 wards in the local government area.
Justifying the decision, Okoye said that in Gokana, the election process was largely “disrupted”, thereby giving rise to the rerun while in Abua/Odual, INEC officials were not even allowed to “deploy” materials for the conduct of the exercise on March 9, and therefore, the need for supplementary election.
He further explained that the exercise was “inconclusive by reason of margin of lead” in both Opobo/Nkoro and Ahoada West, and insisted that supplementary election would be conducted in the two local government areas to determine who represents the state constituencies in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Okoye, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders in the state, especially the political parties, the security agencies, election observers, the media, to play statutory roles in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the exercise, while charging the electorate in the affected areas to turn out in their large numbers to vote candidates of their choice into the state legislative arm of government.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro. Felix Obuah has expressed delight that almost one week after the landslide victory of Governor Nyesom Wike as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), an unprecedented jubilation still pervades the length and breadth of the state.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, Obuah said the unrelenting jubilation was evidence of wide acceptability of Wike by the people of the state.
He said the reason that the post-election celebration has remained endless was because all efforts dissipated by those he called ‘evil forces’ to subvert the will of the people, had failed woefully.
The state PDP chairman observed that never in the history of the state had there been such singular occasion where all strata of the society, including farmers, market men and women, fishermen, civil servants, pensioners, religious groups and even members of the opposition political parties, in one accord, came out to rejoice over an electoral victory.
“How else could a people demonstrate total acceptability of a leader? How else could they express their love for that leader, a man that is passionate about the welfare of the people, a man who has defied every odd to prove that governance is possible? Rivers people have shown that the victory of Governor Wike is well deserved”, Obuah said.
He added that the jubilations also underscored the fact that Rivers State was indisputably a PDP state where no other political party was an option.
“What is happening in Rivers State is that Governor Wike’s re-election has triggered unending joy on everyone. He has touched lives as he used his first tenure to spread development to all the nooks and crannies of the state”, Obuah stated, charging all and sundry to give the governor their unalloyed support to enable him do more for the state in his second term.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.