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2019: Rivers PDP Members ‘ll Decide Presidential Aspirant To Back -Wike …As PDP Flays INEC For Banning Smart Phone In Polling Units
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stated that the entire leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state would decide on the PDP presidential aspirant to support ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
In an interview in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike stated that the direction of Rivers delegates would not be determined by one person.
He said: “At the end of the day, the leadership of the party will meet at the state level and decide where we are heading to? Then, we will all be together. No one individual can do it alone. So, Rivers State will move as a team. I will listen to the leadership of the party, then, we will move forward.
“Who are we going to support? Where is the national survey? Who is more popular? This is how politics is played. I challenge any of the presidential aspirants from the North who have gone to other governors and they have given them campaign coordinators, I challenge them to mention if I have given them one name.”
He said that the decision on the way that Rivers State would go, would not be determined by sentiments, but on the overriding interest of Rivers State.
The governor said: “Can anybody say I have met him one day to say support so, so, and so presidential aspirant? People have been coming here and I told them I will not, and I will never, nominate anybody to be a liaison to any of the presidential aspirants. Not one person, I challenge them.
“Atiku (Abubakar) came here, (Sule) Lamido came here, Makarfi came here, Saraki came here, Tambuwal came here, (Ibrahim) Shekarau came here, (Attahiru) Bafarawa came here. Let one person say I have ever said take Joseph, take John, take JohnBull, take Beatrice as your campaign coordinator like others do. I don’t deceive people, I will not deceive people, and I will not deceive my people.”
He stated that nobody would blindfold the people of Rivers State into supporting a presidential aspirant with compromised credentials.
Wike explained that some of the presidential aspirants were under the sponsorship of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “But one thing you must take home is that I cannot be misled, I cannot be blindfolded; I know what’s going on. I know what the presidency and the APC are doing to plant a presidential aspirant in the PDP.
“I have not even mentioned how a very senior official of a security agency in the country told me which of the candidates to support! You can imagine me as a governor and the head of a security agency would tell me to support one or two persons. Head of security agency who is in a government controlled by the APC! Come on, you direct me on who to support for president?”
Wike reiterated that the plot by the APC-led Federal Government to use the security agencies to rig elections in Rivers State in 2019 would fail.
He said: “It won’t happen in my state, but I know they will kill a lot of persons. I can tell you they will kill a lot of us. No problem, this is the sacrifice we have to make for democracy to thrive.”
Wike stated that he would have nothing to do with godfather politics, pointing out that when he leaves in 2023, the people of Rivers State would collectively choose his successor.
He said “I’m on record and my friends, my colleagues, they know me and I have told them. I am a student of history, mention who has survived it. That you put your life, you put your blood to bring somebody. So, as a student of History, I know it does not work that way.
“I will do what I have come to do, to serve my people and when my time has come to an end, those who want to run, let them run. Let the people of Rivers State decide, it is you, it is him. . And that is the problem we are having, people want to continue to be Godfathers, how and that is the problem we are having without development.
“When I hear some people make comments, with all due respect, I don’t want to talk about persons, when I hear about one, they call him Tonye Princewill and I laugh. The young man forgot the interview he granted the Premium Times. He forgot the interview, and people forget history. That these things are documented, so, I now hear what he’s saying, I say oh my God.”
He recalled that those struggling to play godfather are doing so to protect themselves from criminal prosecution.
He pointed out that Tonye Princewill in his 2014 interview with Premium Times outlined these issues.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, condemned the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ban the use of smart phones in polling units.
The National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said the move was to prevent the global community from knowing its plan to rig the 2019 general elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Secondus spoke a meeting with stakeholders from Bayelsa East Senatorial District in Yenagoa.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson on Media, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted Secondus as saying that it was quite puzzling that the commission would attempt to prevent the use of smart phones.
While describing smart phones as the easiest means of communication in the society, during elections, Secondus argued that the commission by that singular act had sent the country to the dark, primitive era.
The PDP Chairman also restated his opposition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the amended Electoral Act in a bid to avoid the use of card readers.
He said, “We have all heard what the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said about the decision to ban the use of smart phones in the polling units. All over the world, a smart phone is the easiest way of communication.
“What they have said clearly shows that the commission in connivance with the All Progressives Congress had perfected a rigging strategy for the next election. In fact, INEC has sent Nigeria back to the primitive days.
“The same plan to rig the 2019 elections is responsible for the refusal of the President to sign the amended Electoral Act because the card reader must be used.
“Our position is that INEC is wrong, there is nowhere in the constitution or in the electoral act where smart phones are banned. INEC, if you throw this country to crisis, you will be held responsible.”
Secondus said that Nigeria was under siege as the Federal Government had introduced an obnoxious suspension of the people right to freedom in the country.
He raised the alarm that more people had been killed in the country in the past one year than those killed in the Nigerian civil war from 1967 to 1970.
The opposition party leader further lamented that the APC had introduced dictatorial tendencies that were worse than the repression witnessed under the military.
Secondus also accused the Federal Government of borrowing N11trillion in three years in spite of the huge amount of money budgeted yearly to run the government.
He said that the nation’s debt profile had hit the highest of all time under the APC-led Federal Government.
“We have borrowed N11trillion and you don’t feel the impact of the budget except in Daura. Nigeria has witnessed nepotism that has never been felt this way in this country.
“The international community is worried about Nigeria. The country is broke; our debt profile has risen to the highest level. Nigeria is under siege. Freedom and rights have denied our people.
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.
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