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RIVERS ALGON DISTANCES SELF FROM PLANNED PROTEST
Members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State Chapter, have dissociated themselves from the planned protest against hunger billed to commence on August 1 across the country.
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Friday, the ALGON members, comprising chairmen of caretaker committees in the 23 local government areas of the State, said that they are totally against the planned protest because it was capable of being hijacked by hoodlums to loot and destroy valuable properties and cause break down of law and order.
Speaking on behalf of members of ALGON in the State, the Caretaker Committee Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, Prince Ichemati Ezebunwo, said that the State has been peaceful, adding that it was unnecessary to allow agents of destabilization to plunge the State into palpable instability, anarchy and chaos with needless protest and disorganized demonstrations.
Ezebunwo also reiterated the unalloyed support and commitment of the ALGON members to the implementation of the key objectives of Mr President’s policies and programmes as enunciated in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
He said, “Sequel to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting of June, 2024, where intense deliberations were held and resolutions reached on measures to adopt in improving the lives of our people at the grassroots, and the swift release of allocations due the local government councils, we, the members of ALGON, Rivers State Chapter, state”, that” we thank Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the timely and unhindered release of allocations for the various local government councils.
“We want to thank our peace-loving Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who has instructed us to remain peaceful in the face of unwarranted provocation, and to dispense the local government funds in line with the local government laws for the overall benefit of our people.
“ALGON, Rivers State, dissociates itself from the planned protest from August 1, 2024, by faceless individuals against the government and policies of President Tinubu.
“We state categorically that we are committed to cascading the key objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President in our various local government areas.
“We hereby call on the people to discountenance any planned protest as measures are being put in place to cushion the effects of the economic situation” in the country today.
The State ALGON also expressed worries at the increasing involvement of police officers in the escalation of hostilities against members of the caretaker committees and peace-loving and law-abiding Rivers people by the immediate past chairmen of local government councils, and their violent and armed agents, whose intentions have been to cause anarchy and engineer a climate of lawlessness in the State.
While condemning the rising attacks on CTC chairmen and supporters of the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the ALGON members cautioned those involved in perpetrating acts of violence and intimidation in the State, to desist forthwith, and toe the path of peace, saying that their desperation was becoming unacceptable to the generality of Rivers people.
They said, “We recall that earlier today, the immediate past local government chairmen made inciting statements bordering on claims to perpetuating themselves in office they had constitutionally ceased to occupy at the effluxion of time on June 17, 2024.
“We hereby warn these impostors to desist forthwith, and also call the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to call them (immediate past LG chairmen) to order.”
The ALGON members urged the police to be professional, apolitical and neutral in the discharge of their duties, and avoid compromising themselves by aligning with some impostors and desperate politicians to destabilise the State and cause unnecessary distractions for the government, which they said, was committed to the delivery of good governance to Rivers people.
They also condemned, in strong terms, the dastardly attacks on ALGON members in Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor local government areas, where the immediate past chairmen and a former lawmaker led armed thugs and rogue policemen to inflict deadly harm on their members, and vulnerable people in the communities.
They specifically mentioned the incidents in Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, and Eliozu in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where pregnant women, vulnerable children and people with disabilities were ferociously attacked, teargassed, and injured while vehicles and valuable medical consumables and hospital equipment were damaged.
The ALGON said that it was callous for the past local government chairmen to hire thugs and mindless policemen to attack law-abiding people who were responding to a key Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda programme aimed at providing healthcare services to the people at the grassroots.
The ALGON members wondered why any politician and former elected public office holder should disrupt a Federal Government-sponsored primary healthcare programme designed to improve the health status of rural dwellers, who they had claimed to serve.
They warned that the police must not deliberately create an atmosphere of crisis by openly or clandestinely showing support for and protection to the immediate past LG chairmen, and other loyalists of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, adding that such posture would be vehemently resisted.
The State ALGON members also called on the Inspector General of Police, and the Commissioner for Police, to respect the will and the fundamental rights of the people at the LGAs by allowing legitimate workers at the local governments unfettered access to their offices to perform their lawful duties unhindered.
They argued that by denying the local government workers access to their offices to carry out their legitimate duties, the police were deliberately allowing themselves to be used to deny the people at the grassroots the opportunity to enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.
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.