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Buhari, APC Nazifying Nigeria With Poverty -Timi Frank
A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, yesterday, accused General Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Nazifying Nigeria with deepening poverty.
Frank, who was reacting to a report by ‘The Economist’ Magazine that, “Nigerians have become the poorest citizens of a country in the whole world, under President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office,” said the gradual extermination of Nigerians through poverty is an incontrovertible fact that the present government has refused to acknowledge.
“The reality on our streets speaks to that of a failed country. But the agony and irony of this precarious situation is that General Buhari and his boot lickers continue to deny the reality which their actions and inactions have foisted on the people,” he lamented.
He added: “General Buhari has failed to recognize that a democracy is not a military government. He has failed to realize that you cannot run a multi-ethnic and pluralistic society on the principle of command and control style which has been his hallmark as an unreformed and unrefined General in a democratic dispensation.”
He further lamented that while the world has since given up on Nigeria as a failed state, General Buhari is destroying it further with his archaic and centrist disposition.
“It is not that there are not enough courageous and patriotic men in the corridors of power today but in an attempt to escape the unmitigated poverty that the reign of General Buhari has foisted upon Nigerians, they have been forced to toe along.
“They have acquiesced like men whose consciences have been seared with a hot iron. Their major preoccupation is scrambling for the partition of the economic soul of the country to gratify their unbridled avarice and lust for ephemeral material gains.
“General Buhari and his minions have Nazified Nigeria. The Nazification is a grand plot by the regime to exterminate Nigerians with poverty, banditry and economic woes now rife across the country.
“How can General Buhari be in charge of the Executive, do the work of the Legislature and run the Judiciary? General Buhari’s command and control style of governance did not work when he was Head of a military junta, it has not worked in the last four years, it is not working now and it will never work.
“We can no longer afford to let the IMF, World Bank, China, development partners and donor agencies to bail us out of this deadly economic quagmire.
“This is the time to arise and take back our country if peradventure we can stop the drift and make life bearable for the over 90 million Nigerians now living in abject poverty and hopelessness.
“Many are perishing those that are fortunate to be alive daily contend with harsh and unimaginable livelihoods. Unemployment pervades the land. Incomes are declining. Healthcare is unaffordable. We still lack basic amenities.
“We are confronted by bandits and kidnappers on our bad roads, killed in our villages by insurgents. We have been besieged in our own country by a Pharaonic regime.
“Except we speak up, we may all likewise perish. God forbid! I believe that there remains enough good and patriotic men in Nigeria to confront this evil regime and stop the country from sliding irretrievably,” he lamented.
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.