News

Wike Meets Sanitation Service Providers, Today …Signs Three Bills Into Law …Says Traditional Rulers Key To Peace Building

Published

6 years ago

August 5, 2019

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, will today, meet with chief executive officers of environmental sanitation service providers in the state.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, indicated that the meeting would hold by 4pm at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The statement reads, “This is to inform the Environmental Sanitation Service Providers of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) that only owners of the said service providers can attend the meeting with the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
“Any service provider, who sends a manager or staff to represent him/her at the meeting will have his/her contract revoked.
“Once again, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike will meet with all Environmental Sanitation Service Providers of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) on Monday, August 5, 2019 at the Government House, Port Harcourt by 4pm”.
The statement further emphasised that the meeting is specifically designed for chief executive officers or managing directors of the service companies, warning that, “Any service provider that fails to attend the meeting will have himself to blame”.
Meanwhile, in a bid to strengthen the governance process, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Friday, signed into law three bills passed by the state House of Assembly.
The bills signed into law include the Rivers State Street Trading, Illegal Markets & Motor Parks (Prohibition) Bill No. 8 of 2019, Rivers State Healthcare Facilities Registration Bill No. 6 of 2019 and Rivers State Environmental Protection and Management Bill No. 7 of 2019.
Giving his assent to the bills at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said that the state government was committed to entrenching good governance and the rule of law in the state.
Wike said that the state government would diligently implement the Rivers State Street Trading, Illegal Markets & Motor Parks (Prohibition) Law to clean-up Port Harcourt and its environs.
“We have vowed to bring Port Harcourt back to its Garden City status. This law will help us stop illegal street trading, illegal motor parks and illegal markets within the city centre.
“We are not going to allow the littering of the state capital. In the next few weeks, people will see improvements in Port Harcourt”, he said.
The governor directed the state Attorney General to officially approach the Chief Judge of Rivers State for the appointment of Magistrates for the Mobile Courts.
He said: “We have six mobile courts. So, as they arrest offenders, they will be tried and sentenced by the courts. We didn’t start implementation because there was no law”.
Wike said that the state government has employed workers to fully implement the law.
He noted that the 400 workers would work in shifts till 8pm everyday to ensure that nobody engages in street trading, illegal markets and illegal motor parks.
On the environmental law, Wike said that the state government would work towards improving the environmental sanitation of the state.
He said: “We are spending N6billion to evacuate waste annually. Even at that, people still carelessly dump refuse on the roads.
“This time, if you generate refuse, you will pay government to clear it. I have directed the Honourable Attorney General to prepare a bill to be sent to the House of Assembly over these environmental issues”, he said.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said that the state lawmakers were pleased with the achievements of the Rivers State governor, and assured that they would continue to support his administration.
He said that the three laws were focused on enhancing the living standard of Rivers people.
Ibani also said that what the Rivers State governor was doing in collaboration with the House of Assembly would lift the state ahead of others.
Earlier, the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Martins Amaewhule, had presented the three bills to Governor Wike for assent.
Those who witnessed the signing into law of the bills, are top government functionaries, the leadership of the state House of Assembly, the leadership of the state Judiciary, some permanent secretaries, among others.
Also, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has reiterated the important role traditional rulers could play in ensuring peace and sustainable development in the state.
Wike said this, yesterday, in Port Harcourt during a peace and security conference/reconciliation convened by King Disrael Bob-Manuel, Amanyanabo of Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.
Wike, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, said that the state would continue to encourage and support peace building efforts by community leaders as government alone could not provide security for the people.
He expressed concern over the absence of major political gladiators during the last elections in the peace and security conference that was aimed at achieving reconciliation.
“The discussion of peace and security cannot be complete without the involvement of all, especially the political class in local government areas.
“During the last elections, Akuku-Toru LGA alone had up to 10 governorship aspirants whom I expected to see here with their supporters contributing to the issue of peace, security and development of the local government.
“All persons, politicians, men, women, youths, boys and girls should be part of the peace building process in this community,” he said in a statement by the Media Officer in the office of the Secretary to State Government, Miss Juliet Masi.
According to Wike, security agencies such as the military which played a vital role and increased the tension and crisis in the area during the last election were not also represented.
“If we must x-ray what went wrong in the last election, any discussion that does not highlight the role of the military is cowardly as we must face reality to make progress.
“The conference’s intention to see youths shun cultism, political/election violence, use of illicit drugs, thuggery/rape should as well be extended to the security agents that caused mayhem in the community,” he added.
Wike urged the conference convener and Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Bob-Manuel to ensure the involvement of the council of chiefs in his domain to put all hands on deck in the establishment of the peace in the council.
Earlier in his presentation titled, “Strategic Response to Sustainable Peace and Security in Akuku-Toru LGA”, Pastor Christopher Briggs, discussed the immediate causes of violence and criminality in the area and presented recommendations to sustainable peace.
Also speaking, the Chief Superintendent of Police in the local government, Mr Uzota Chidi, advised youths and political leaders to be law-abiding and peace-loving.
Uzota said that even when only a few people cause the crisis, all members of a community would suffer its consequences.
The Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Bob-Manuel said the peace and security conference was organised to mend the community which was divided along with political differences and chieftaincy disputes.

News

Fubara Attends PDPGF Meeting In Asaba …..Back Court Verdict On National Secretary Position

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, last Friday, attended the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The Rivers State Governor, who is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, attended the meeting, alongside 10 other Governors of the party’s controlled states across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The first PDPGF meeting in 2025, was held at the Government House in Asaba, at the end of which a seven-point resolution was reached.

Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Forum, and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to put every machinery in place to ensure a hitch-free NEC meeting on March 13, 2025.

The communique stated:

“The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth (13Th) of March 2025.”

The Forum further noted the Court of Appeal judgment affirming Udeh Okoye as the National Secretary of the party, saying that as a party that believes in the rule of law, it will respect the position of the Appellate Court on the matter.

“The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee, NWC, on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment; consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment.

“While commending the country’s valiant and patriotic Armed Forces and Security Agencies for maintaining the frontline in securing the country and the gains of our gallant personnel against bandits in parts of the country, the Forum viewed with deep concern, the resurgence of brazen non-state actors. It, therefore, calls for the strengthening of the nation’s security architecture.”

Governors in attendance include: H.E Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (Bauchi State); H.E Sir Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State) – Vice Chairman; H.E Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State) – Host; H.E Dr. Agbu Kefas (Taraba State); H.E Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State); and H.E Dr. Dauda Lawal (Zamfara State).

Others are H.E Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun State); H.E Senator Douye Diri (Bayelsa State); H.E Pastor Umo Eno Ph.D (Akwa Ibom State); H.E Dr. Peter Mbah (Enugu State); H.E Barr. Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau State);

and H.E Bayo Lawal (Deputy Governor, Oyo State), who represented Governor Seyi Makinde.

News

NGO Implants Free Pacemakers Into 22 Cardiac Patients In PH

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

A United States based Non Governmental Organisation, Cardiovascular Education Forum, in collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), has successfully implanted free pacemakers into 22 patients with different cardiac cases in Port Harcourt.

This is in a bid to save lives and encourage patients with low heartbeats to live longer.

The implantable device, which costs $20,000 each, was inserted free of charge on the selected patients.

Speaking during a Special Hospital Ground Rounds at the UPTH with its Theme, “Recent Advances in Cardiac Pacing,” a cardiac Physiologist, Dr Neil Grub, said the NGO was in Nigeria to improve training and learning on cardiac issues and help patients with cardiac problems.

Accompanied by a team of experts comprising a cardiologist and cardiac device implanter, Dr Jagdeep Siagh, and UPTH interventional cardiologist, Dr Edafe Emmanuel, Dr Grubb said pacemakers were inserted on patients with low heartbeats to boost their heart rates.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director, UPTH, Prof Henry Arinze Ugboma, said each of the implantable devices cost over $20,000.

Ugboma, represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, UPTH, Prof Datonye Alasia, said the partnership between UPTH and the foreign NGO was to build networks, and improve services in terms of healthcare delivery, training and learning.

According to him, there is now a ray of hope in terms of treatment of patients with cardiovascular cases in the hospital.

He said the UPTH started the collaboration with Cardiovascular Education Forum in 2018 to boost health, training and learning on cardiac health.

He assured that, “in coming years, the scale of our collaboration with the mission will be higher.”

Chinedu Wosu

News

FG Unveils National Broadband Alliance To Drive Internet Access

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has unveiled the National Broadband Alliance, a new initiative aimed at transforming the nation’s digital infrastructure and boosting connectivity across the country.

The initiative was unveiled yesterday in Lagos by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who was represented by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida.

In his address, Tijani stated that NBAN would significantly enhance broadband penetration, which has grown from just six per cent in 2015 to approximately 42 per cent as of October 2024.

To support this agenda, he said the government was leveraging a Special Purpose Vehicle to deploy 90,000 km of fibre backbone across the nation, connecting underserved and rural communities to high-speed internet.

According to him, the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises innovation, technology, and collaboration as key drivers of national prosperity.

Tijani stated that the expansion would not only improve access to reliable broadband but also empower Nigerians, particularly in rural areas.

“While the progress made in broadband penetration is commendable, we recognise that much more needs to be done to ensure every Nigerian can enjoy the benefits of reliable, high-speed internet,” Tijani said.

The minister also emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships with donors, investors, and other key stakeholders in achieving the goals set out in the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025).

He said these collaborations would be essential in overcoming infrastructure development challenges and making broadband affordable and accessible for all Nigerians.

“These targets reflect our unwavering commitment to ensuring that broadband is accessible, affordable, and inclusive for all Nigerians. However, we are also aware of the challenges ahead,” he added.

Tijani stressed that achieving the government’s targets—70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025, a minimum internet speed of 25 Mbps in urban areas, and broadband access for 80 per cent of the population by 2027—will require sustained efforts.

“Achieving these goals will require more than just the efforts of the private sector. It will require a holistic approach that includes strategic partnerships with donors, investors, and other key stakeholders in accelerating the rollout of critical infrastructure,” he said.