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No Other Party’ll Occupy Govt House In 2023, Akawor Boasts … As PDP Receives More APC Returnees
As the gale of defection continues to hit the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb Desmond Akawor, last Tuesday, received two set of decampees from the APC to the PDP.
While one group from Okrika Local Government led by the Chairman of the party in the area, Hon Fred Obah had returnees from Wards 2 and 5, including former Chairman of Okrika LGA, Hon Godwin Tamuno, and former Head of Primary Health Care in the state, Dr Claribel Abam; the other group led by the member representing PHALGA Constituency 2, Tonye Adoki, consisted of Wards and LGA executives from the constituency.
Receiving the groups at the state party secretariat in Port Harcourt, Akawor commended them for taking a wise decision to return to their original base, saying that coming at a transition time when they would contribute to the installation of a new government was not only apt but timely.
The PDP chairman, who told the returnees that there was no new member in the party, assured that henceforth they would be regarded as bona-fide members of the PDP.
“The decision you have taken is the right one because come 2023 nobody who is not PDP will enter Brick House, and I believe you have come back to join us to make the new government come into Brick House so that you will not be called a new person”, Akawor added.
He opined that the reason for joining politics which is to change their environment was not achieved in the APC, hence their decision to return to where the needs of the messes were being met.
The PDP chairman said a formal reception would be organised for them, and urged the leadership of the party in Okrika to fix a date for the ceremony.
Earlier, the member representing Port Harcourt Constituency 2 in the state House of Assembly, Hon Smart Adoki, had said the returnees who were in their hundreds, had the capacity to work for the success of the party in the area.
In his response, former Chairman of OkrikaLocal Government, Hon Godwin Tamuno, said he and other returnees had come to work for the victory of the PDP Governorship candidate, Sir SimFubara, bragging that by their defection to the PDP, there was no more APC in Okrika.
On her part, ClaribelAbam, who expressed joy over leaving the APC, said she would bring her wealth of experience to work in ensuring the success of the party in Okrika in every ramification.
Highpoint of the visit was the symbolic issuance of PDP membership cards to Godwin Tamuno and ClaribelAbam to signal their full readmission into the PDP family.
Other party executive officers present at the meeting were the Deputy Chairman, Hon Chukwuemeka Aaron; Secretary of the party, Dr Benibo George; Treasurer, Barrister Blessing Amadi; Publicity Secretary, Hon TambariGbara; and the Assistant Secretary 2, SuleAmakiri.
In a similar development, another set of decampees from PHALGA also returned to the PDP from APC, in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
The historic and colourful event, which took place at the Information Centre, Number 5Field in Port Harcourt City, was graced by some members of the state PDP Executive, including the state Chairman, Amb Desmond Akawor; the Deputy Chairman, Hon Chukwuemeka Aaron; the state Secretary, Dr Benibo George; and the state Treasurer and House of Reps candidate for Port Harcourt Constituency 1, Barrister Blessing Amadi.
Also on hand to receive the APC deserters were the party’s candidate for Rivers East Senatorial District, Chief AllwellOnyesoh; the House of Reps candidate for Port Harcourt Constituency 2, Hon ChimaBoms; the House of Assembly member and candidate for Port Harcourt Constituency 2, Hon Smart Adoki; the Chairman of PHALGA, Hon AllwellIhunda; the chairman of PDP in Port Harcourt City, among others.
Speaking while receiving the decampees, PDP Chairman, Amb Desmond Akawor, reiterated that there was no discrimination between old and new members in the PDP, contending that new members have equal status with their old counterparts.
The PDP chairman also assured them that nobody who has returned to the party had been left out in the scheme of things, stressing that everyone had been carried along.
Buttressing an instance of non-discrimination in the PDP, Akawor said one of their former party members, Chief AllwellOnyesoh, who left the APC sometime back, was today a senatorial candidate of the PDP.
While advising them to talk to those who were still undecided to take that bold and decisive step, he contended that broom which was the symbol of the APC was used in those days in the Diobu area and old Port Harcourt township by night soil men to pack faeces, noting that it was dishonourable for decent people to carry brooms up and down.
Akawor, who described their action as symbolic, urged them to get their PVCs ready to be able to use it to punish the APC at the polls in 2023.
Earlier, stakeholders of the party in the constituency, including Chief AllwellOnyesoh; Deputy Chairman of PDP, Hon Chukwuemeka Aaron; House of Representatives candidates for PHALGA Constituency 1 and 2, HonChimaBoms;state Treasurer and House of Reps candidate for Port Harcourt Constituency 1, Barrister Blessing Amadi; Mayor of Port Harcourt City, AllwellIhunda; House of Assembly candidate for Port Harcourt Constituency 2, Hon Smart Adoki; PDP chairman in the area, among others, welcomed the decampees, and enjoined them to be ready for the task ahead.
Speaking on behalf of the decampees, former APC State Organising Secretary, Mrs Gloria Nunju; former House of Assembly aspirant for PHALGA Constituency 2,Tonye Napoleon; and Sunday Okiri; affirmed their loyalty, commitment and readiness to work for PDP, pledging to use their PVCs to punish the APC for deceiving them.
They also expressed happiness to be back to the PDP, which they described as “home coming”.
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.