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APC Mourns Late PH Mayor, Condemns Use Of Violence
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the sudden death of the Mayor of Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA), Hon. Charles Paul Ejekwu, as a rude shock and very devastating.
The party, in a statement by the state Chairman, Dr. Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, prayed God to grant Hon. Ejekwu’s immediate family, the Rivers State APC Leader and Chairman of Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Chibuike Amaechi, the entire APC family and Rivers State people in general, the fortitude to bear this great loss and grant the departed eternal rest.
“We hope to do our best to live his principles and stand on our common struggle to emancipate and free our people from the hands of greedy and visionless politicians plotting everyday on how to take our state back to the inglorious past before God decided to send to us Governor Amaechi to secure us and change the politics of our State,” Dr. Ikanya said of Hon. Ejeukwu, who died Wednesday morning in Port Harcourt.
Ikanya said: “Regrettably, instead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) respecting the death of this young man who did his best to contribute his quota towards a new Port Harcourt, they rather preferred to continue with their ugly mission of using thugs to cause havoc in their desperation to destabilise the Amaechi administration.
“Like crazed vagabonds, PDP thugs attempted to sabotage and disrupt the Meet-the-People Tour of Governor Amaechi by destroying the canopies and chairs arranged at strategic locations in Obio/Akpor, shooting sporadically into the air, breaking bottles on the roads, destructing property and injuring innocent persons on Wednesday, 13th August, 2014 the very day we lost the Mayor of Port Harcourt to death,” APC said.
Rivers APC commended Governor Amaechi for postponing his Meet-the-People Tour not because of the madness of the PDP tugs and their wicked sponsors but in the honour of the late Mayor Ejekwu.
“By this act, the Governor has once again demonstrated his humane and caring qualities as the people’s leader. As we console him over this great loss, we pray God to continue to guide and inspire him as he submits himself as a tool in the hands of God to emancipate our nation politically. Amaechi should not be deterred by the politics of men who do not know what politics is all about,” the party said.
It called on the security agencies to prevail on PDP to toe the path of peace and discontinue their devilish mission to turn the State into a battlefield.
According to Rivers APC, “PDP wants to create unrest, fear and panic in Rivers State. We are calling on the police and other security agencies in the state to prevail on the PDP to stop attacking APC gatherings.
“We also appeal to our brothers in PDP to allow peace to reign in the state. Even before Governor Amaechi started his visit to the people, the police were properly informed. Despite the presence of the police, these hoodlums still went ahead to cause confusion. The police should confront those that want to turn the state into a battlefield.”
APC urged Amaechi not to be intimidated into abandoning his well-intentioned tour designed to be used to interact with the people and get their views on the services rendered to them.
In his own reaction, Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, a chieftain of APC, described the use of thugs and reintroduction of violence in the politics of Rivers State by PDP as very sad, unfortunate and condemnable.
Okocha said: “I think they resort to the politics of thuggery and violence because they have no ideology, vision for any development of Rivers State, exposing themselves as being bereft of ideas on what modern politics is all about. It is unfortunate that the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, is still living in the past, not knowing that the 2015 elections will be based on ideas and conviction of the people and no longer on the amount of violence one can unleash.
“The earlier he wakes up from his slumber the better for him and those who are following him sheepishly. Rivers State people can now understand what Wike and PDP stand for – violence. I know our people very well as peace-loving people who will not want the reintroduction of violence into our state. The only way to stop this evil is to collectively vote out PDP and all it stands for in 2015 and I am confident that the good people of Rivers State will do just that,” the party stated.
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.