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Stop Insulting Our Govs, PDP Cautions APC Interim Chairman
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, cautioned the national caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, to stop “sending impostors and charlatans” in his party to insult governors elected on its platform and other patriotic leaders just to divert attention from the failures and problems of his party.
The PDP counselled Buni to design a more constructive way of containing the manifest failures of APC government at the federal and state levels “instead of this jealous act of seeking to use nonentities to attempt to drag down PDP performing governors and other well-meaning Nigerians.”
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbindiyan, yesterday, the PDP said it was “indisputable that governors elected on the platform of the PDP have performed and are performing better, by all standards, than their counterparts in the APC.”
The statement read: “Nigerians across the country already know that the standard of living, infrastructural development, wealth creation, employment opportunities as well as growth in critical sectors including aviation, education, health, transportation power, energy, manufacturing, commerce, are better in PDP states.
“Of course, no APC governor can point to any development project that can compete with the achievements of any of our governors in any sector of life.
“Such feat is not by accident but by sheer ingenuity, hard work and accountability being exhibited by our governors in line with the manifesto of the PDP.
“Furthermore, it is ludicrous that rather than advising President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to rescind the unjustified increase in fuel price and withdraw the morbid declaration that fuel price ought not to be cheaper in Nigeria than Saudi Arabia, the APC is further insulting Nigerians by bandying unsubstantiated oil subsidy figures, to defend their atrocious policy.
“In case the APC is not aware, it is instructive to remind them that their party and government have fallen too low in the esteem of Nigerians for it to seek a rebranding through impostors as spokespersons, to funnel lies, deception and distortions of facts in a fresh attempt to beguile Nigerians.
“It is incontrovertible that contrary to the lies of APC impostors, between 2006 and 2013, successive PDP administrations, effectively managed the resources of our nation and grew our economy to become one of the fastest-growing in the world as recorded by Fitch and the International Monetary Fund, IMF.
“Perhaps, the APC should be reminded that within this period, the PDP achieved the historical debt relief (of about $18billion), which freed Nigeria from the suffocating shackles of huge external borrowings of the past.
“It is a fact that during this period, the PDP administrations reduced our nation’s budget deficits by 72 per cent stabilized our currency and overall economy to achieve the doubling of our GDP within four years from $55.65billion in 2003 to $114.36billion in 2006, as acknowledged by IMF database.
“This is in addition to improving our FDI from less than $700million per annum in 1999 to $4.3billion by 2007, which earned Nigeria a BB credit rating by Fitch.”
The party also made a comparison of life under a PDP-led government, saying “it is incontrovertible that life was better in our country under the PDP and that the purchasing power of Nigerians, in general, experienced its highest in our contemporary history under the PDP.
“Our party, therefore, counsels the APC to rather advise President Buhari to wake up to the demands of governance by ending the corruption in his oil revenue management, reduce the costs of fuel price and rejig his security and economic teams, instead of this resort to diversionary tactics.”
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.
