Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has waded into the dispute between the management of Port Harcourt International Airport and Ipo community, which led to the temporary disruption of flight operations of the Airport by protesting women of the host community, yesterday.

Ipo community is one of the major hosts of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Women of the community had barricaded the entrance of the only road to the airport early hours of yesterday, singing, dancing and cooking, thereby disrupting access to and from the airport, and causing flight delays.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, who addressed newsmen after a closed door meeting between the Governor, women leaders and chiefs of Ipo community, and the Airport management in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, said that the feuding parties have agreed to a mutually beneficial peace deal.

He noted that while the women have resolved to withdraw from barricading the access road to the airport, the management of the Federal Government facility has promised to address the concerns of the community in the area of implementing key corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies to meet expectations of host communities.

He said that when the Government got wind of the disruption of access to the airport, it immediately swung into action, and invited all parties to a meeting to resolve the issues.

In his remarks, member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Boniface Emerengwa, thanked the Governor for his swift response to ensure that the grievances of the women protesters were immediately addressed.

He also commended the people of Ipo community for their patience and understanding over the years, and assured that he would work in synergy with the state and local governments to ensure that dividends of democracy reach the communities, including Ipo.

Also speaking, Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Ikwerre Local Government Council, Dr Darlington Orji, lamented the neglect of the airport host communities over the years, particularly in the areas of employment and communication.

He expressed satisfaction with the Governor’s promise to come to the aid of the community with alternative access road, and challenged corporate organisations to live up to their social responsibilities by addressing basic development needs of their host communities.

In her remarks, Port Harcourt Airport Manager, Mrs Lynda Ifesinachi Ezike, thanked Governor Fubara for his quick intervention in resolving the crisis, and assured of the new management’s commitment to addressing the concerns of stakeholders, including Ipo community.

Mrs Ezike, who is also the Regional General Manager, South-South of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said that the management was ready to maintain cordial relationship with host communities, saying that it is only in a peaceful operating environment that the airport business can thrive, with its attendant benefits to all parties.

The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China,  has revealed one of the strongest attractions Governor Siminialayi Fubara holds  for investors like him. He called it “humility for continuity”.

China, who is also the CEO of  Housing and Construction Mayor Limited, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

According to him, for any governor to focus on completion of projects of his predecessor was a huge act in humility.

“Governance in Nigeria is such that politics is prioritized over valuetics.

“To know you did not start this project, but because you have the interest of the people at heart, you continue it, even in the midst of political crisis.”

“I have a quote that ‘without delivering tangible dividends of democracy, politics is the greatest liability any society can have”.

He gave examples of good projects that were stalled in Rivers State because of discontinuity as “the Rivers State Geographical Information System  (RivGis) and the Rainbow Estate in Trans-Amadi”.

He said a huge loss had been incurred in the two projects just because  successive administrations did not like the previous administrations that initiated those projects.

He said: “So, one of the reasons RivGis has not worked is because successive governments have come to truncate the good works of previous administrations.

“And when people are saying that the present governor has scored ‘zero’ because he continued and completed the projects that his predecessor started, I am wondering what planet these guys are speaking from.

“Because what has been killing any policy or project started by an administration is discontinuity by the next administration.

“Now, if any administration says it wants to continue the ones he inherited for the sake of the people, what makes that an offence”, he said.

He, therefore, called for the revival of RivGis, saying the way out is to systematize lands and housing subsector.

“I did not become Mayor of Housing in Port Harcourt, but in Abuja. I can tell you that the ease of doing business (EoDB) in Abuja is 100 times faster than in Rivers State.”

The Mayor of Housing revealed that Nigeria at the moment needs about N21 trillion to close the over 28 million housing deficit.

The Mayor of Housing advised  Gov. Fubara on what  to do to move the economy of the oil-rich state back to the front seat.

“Many business leaders point to the crisis of obtaining land papers in Rivers State and say this deserves urgent attention to attract investors.

“They also think housing deficit in Nigeria is getting out of hand.

Rivers State is the 7th most populous state in Nigeria with about seven million people. By December 2018, Nigeria posted about 20 million housing deficit, needing N21 trillion to close the gap.

“Gov. Sim Fubara of Rivers State has started with 20,000 low-cost houses that may be scaled up to 100,000. This looks promising. There is hope for more estates to spring up if ease of land papers, ease of regulation, etc can be enthroned.

Mayor of Housing attributed the bane of the housing sector in Rivers State to three major issues.

“First, let’s look at the Rivers housing situation. The housing deficit in Rivers State is worse because it is a one-city state, making most persons to cluster in the state capital, the oil city.

“By this, of the population of about 7 million people in the state, over 5 million people are congested in the state capital, Port Harcourt. In terms of city congestion, Port Harcourt is second most congested.

“Other states may have their population spread around, but in Rivers, it’s all in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, and Eleme. When you have sequestration or concentration in one place, the ones that have houses in the villages come to the city to be homeless. They add to the housing deficit. There is exacerbation of deficit in the city.

“Next, there is absence of housing data in Rivers State. There are the superlative and fundamental factors in the Rivers housing analogy.

“The fundamental is that there is no agency in charge of all matters relating to lands and housing. In Rivers State, there are about five ministries and agencies looking after the sector.

“A single agency would have been the Rivers State Geographical Information System (RIVGIS), but because it is not fully functional, you now have the Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Urban Development, the Surveyor-General’s Office, and more. In this situation, none has responsibility to collate all matters and interface with the public.”

According to him, the second most lucrative sector after oil in Nigeria right now is property.

“Until RivGis is so digitalized that there is no or minimal human interference just like in the banks, the state will not surge forward in development.

“The governor has said he started real governance in February 2024. We know that things are not where they should be, but we are very optimistic they are going to be far better because of the body language of the governor. The way the governor spoke shows he means business.

“He said at the summit that the state is now open for businesses. We in the private sector want to see more PPP initiatives and projects.

On what investors wanted from the Fubara administration, he said: “As an offshoot from the summit where investors expressed difficulty in getting land papers (certificates of occupancy), access to land, etc. I am sure this governor will follow through.

“The summit itself is a success for the mere fact that it took place, because that is the first one the state has had in 13 years. It shows that this governor means business. That is how the investors feel about the summit.

“Two: The continuity from the previous administration’s projects despite having issues with that administration, and he didn’t take out any of those projects because of malice of anything; that alone is a boost of confidence for the private sector.

“Third: Flag-off and actual start of construction of the 20,000 low-cost housing units under a PPP is also a confidence booster. Please, people should not underrate that project, because there has been hardly any FG housing project above 2,000 in a particular locus. The biggest FG housing project in Rivers State is the Trans-Amadi Garden which is not up to 1,000. Agip Housing Estate is also a FG housing project, and I am not sure it is over 2,000. So, 20,000 is actually a new city.

“This is one of the reasons real estate investors are comfortable with the 20,000 and in PPP.”

“My sincere advice to Gov. Fubara is to increase the number and size of PPP schemes. It is not only in projects but in planning. World class businesses often engage consultants to get them the information and finished reports to work with.

He also called on Gov. Fubara to endeavour to bring out a white paper on the summit.

“The governor needs to, as a matter of fact, sit down with group leaders, especially captains of industry and technocrats and develop a white paper from the summit’s panel discussions. The governor can ask, who do you know that can actually do this or that. Just like the way the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) wanted to use Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to remove election irregularities, though it was abused.

“We can ask for who has the expertise to map Rivers State and plan it vis-à-vis the part that has not yet been developed. Then, not only to have this in the system but have it in the public domain that everybody knows that this is the plan.”

The Nigerian Army has denied allegations that it is recruiting Islamic fundamentalists and jihadists.

The rebuttal came in response to a viral video that claimed that the Army was recruiting jihadists.

According to the Army, the video falsely depicted an officer encouraging Muslim young men to join the military to protect and propagate Islam.

The Army said the footage also falsely portrayed an officer calling on Muslim young men to join the military to protect and propagate Islam.

The Army, in a statement, yesterday, by the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the viral video was aimed at causing a religious crisis in the country.

The statement read, “The NA has been drawn to an audio-visual recording circulating on various online platforms, purportedly showing a misleading report suggesting that the NA is recruiting Islamic fundamentalists and jihadists. The footage also falsely portrayed an officer calling on Muslim young men to join the military to protect and propagate Islam.

“Considering the gravity of this falsehood, the NA wishes to clearly state that the narrative depicted in the footage is not in any instance a reflection of the true values and standards of the NA, as it is targeted at sparking palpable anxiety and fear, sowing discord and mistrust amongst our personnel, eroding public confidence in the integrity of the NA, particularly among Christian and non-Muslim communities, who might feel their lives and faith are under threat, and ultimately engender religious crisis in the country. ”

Onyema stated that the Army is a professional institution that does not consider ethnicity or religion.

He said, “The NA remains steadfast in upholding professionalism and impartiality as an institution devoid of ethnic and religious bigotry. Our operational and administrative processes and actions are guided by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not ethnicity or religious sentiments. ”

Onyema urged the public to disregard the video.

He said, “We, therefore, urge the public to dismiss this misleading report, which stems from a misconception and lack of understanding about NA’s Standing Operating Procedures.

“It is crucial to reiterate that any deviation from the NA’s SOP is met with appropriate disciplinary action, regardless of the personnel’s religious affiliation.

“We call on all citizens to rise above these divisive tactics and stand united. The strength of Nigeria lies in its unity in diversity, and it is this unique national strength and trait that the NA seeks to protect while carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.

“We will remain undaunted in upholding these principles in the face of any challenge. The NA remains committed to serving and protecting all Nigerians, irrespective of religious or ethnic affiliations. Let us work together to maintain the peace and unity of our great nation.”

The Army had, on April 14, 2024, debunked a similar viral report that it recruited repented Boko Haram members.