Nwuche Urges Ekpeye Youths To Shun Planned Protest,Commends Tinubu, FCT Minister

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche has called on youths of Ekpeye ethnic nationality in Rivers State not to join any planned protest for which they do not know the organizers and their motives.

Nwuche who addressed the youths at the sideline of the just concluded PDP Ward Exco and adhoc delegates congress, stated that even though the people are very poor amidst the hunger in Nigeria, they should understand that the Tinubu administration met Nigeria almost prostrate based on the poor governance of past administrations where Nigeria was left totally broke ravaged by unemployment, insecurity and killings across the nation especially in Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Bornu etc. He adviced them to be patient with the Tinubu administration who is determined and has shown sincere commitment by lining up various programs to end the hunger, suffering and terror in the country, noting that for the first time under the Tinubu administration, Boko Haram terrorists are now under serious pressure and have been releasing hostages including children and women in their bid to escape the superior fire power of the now determined and motivated military under the command of President Tinubu.

He urged youths across the country,?especially those of Rivers State to give the government a chance, as no government can fix the problem inherited by the Tinubu administration within a year, emphasizing that Tinubu has shown commitment to Rivers people by appointing Nyesom Wike as Minister of the FCT who has indeed not disappointed any Nigerian in his performance but has made the people of the Niger Delta proud by restoring the lost glory of Abuja through the rebuilding of infrastructure in terms of roads, bridges, railways and social welfare etc.

He called on Nigerians to ignore paid agents hired to malign the minister of the FCT based on their own selfish interests and motivations by people who envy the minister’s track records in Rivers state and the FCT and therefore desperate to pull him down.

Nwuche Urges Ekpeye Youths To Shun Planned Protest.

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche has called on youths of Ekpeye ethnic nationality in Rivers State not to join any planned protest for which they do not know the organizers and their motives.

Nwuche who addressed the youths at the sideline of the just concluded PDP Ward Exco and adhoc delegates congress, stated that even though the people are very poor amidst the hunger in Nigeria, they should understand that the Tinubu administration met Nigeria almost prostrate based on the poor governance of past administrations where Nigeria was left totally broke ravaged by unemployment, insecurity and killings across the nation especially in Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Bornu etc. He adviced them to be patient with the Tinubu administration who is determined and has shown sincere commitment by lining up various programs to end the hunger, suffering and terror in the country, noting that for the first time under the Tinubu administration, Boko Haram terrorists are now under serious pressure and have been releasing hostages including children and women in their bid to escape the superior fire power of the now determined and motivated military under the command of President Tinubu.

He urged youths across the country,?especially those of Rivers State to give the government a chance, as no government can fix the problem inherited by the Tinubu administration within a year, emphasizing that Tinubu has shown commitment to Rivers people by appointing Nyesom Wike as Minister of the FCT who has indeed not disappointed any Nigerian in his performance but has made the people of the Niger Delta proud by restoring the lost glory of Abuja through the rebuilding of infrastructure in terms of roads, bridges, railways and social welfare etc.

He called on Nigerians to ignore paid agents hired to malign the minister of the FCT based on their own selfish interests and motivations by people who envy the minister’s track records in Rivers state and the FCT and therefore desperate to pull him down.

THE RIGHT TO PROTEST IS SACROSANCT
- Position Of the Rivers State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on the planned Nationwide Protest Against Bad Governance.


The Civil Liberties Organisation, affirms that Governance is a social charter between the leaders and the people, with the leaders holding their position as a Trust to provide for the security and good governance and welfare of the people, and with power belonging to the people. In Nigeria this charter is codified in Chapter 11 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).


Regrettably, this has not been the case in the past few years in Nigeria. Government has persisted in anti people policies that has plunged the greater majority of Nigerians into abject poverty and lack of adequate security with ever increasing rate of official corruption.


It is therefore in the exercise of their fundamental freedom to protest that the Nigerian people have given notice that beginning from August 1sth-10th, they intend to embark on a nationwide protest, to draw attention to the failure of government to tackle the rising cost of living, hunger and total economic decay and insecurity, as provided in Chapter 4 of the Constitution. The people intend to embark on a peaceful protest against BAD GOVERNANCE in Nigeria.


The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) believes that the protest is justified in the circumstance. However we urge that the protest be totally peaceful and non violent, to avert a situation where hoodlums and miscreants might have cause to hijack the protest and cause mayhem.


The Civil Liberties Organisation equally tasks the Nigerian Police to be professional in relating and dealing with issues that might arise out of the protest and also to ensure the safety of the protesters. The National Human Rights Commission is equally challenged to ensure that the rights of the protesters are adequately protected and that the leaders of the protest are not witchhunted both during and after the protest.

Government must act within the bounds of civilized conduct and ensure that it gives a listening ear to the protesters as well as engaging in actions and policies thst will end the hunger, hardship and anguish in the land.


Signed
Barr. Anayo Peter Uwabuike
Chairman, Interim Management Committee
Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO)
Rivers State.

Dan Nwanyanwu is a serial blackmailer and hustler...Group.

A group the League of Nigerian Voters,has carpeted Dan Nwanyanwu, the national chairman of Zenith Labour Party, over his allegations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, describing him as a serial blackmailer and a hustler.

The group in a statement signed by Ella Susan Chinwendu, National Cordinator, Wariso Wariso, National Secretary and Dave Moore, Ex-Officio, dismissed the allegations by Dan Nwanyanwu, that the FCT Minister sent sone people to kill him.

Describing Dan Nwanyanwu's accusation as "wild and scurilious and a Macrebre dance of Falsehood and Perfidy", the group noted that "Anyone who knows Dan Nwanyanwu, should have known the objective of that video, which is to grab attention and gain relevance and bill his motley sponsors".

The full statement is reproduced below:

Press Statement


Interrogating Dan Nwanyanwu's Macrebre Dance of Falsehood and Perfidy.


At first glance, Dan Nwanyanwu's comical outburst in his well choreographed video, would have passed off as a hilarious piece of situational comedy, if not for the serious allegations he levelled against a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Ezenwo Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital.

Ordinarily, what should have been strictly for laughs, at once became a serious National issue, with grave national security implications.

Anyone who knows Dan Nwanyanwu, should have known the objective of that video, which is to grab attention and gain relevance and bill his motley sponsors.

A serial failure, who killed the Labour Party which was entrusted into his care at inception, Dan Nwanyanwu is a broke ass old man seeking for relevance and quick money.

To get to the root of this whole saga, it is necessary to interrogate what actuálly transpired at the pastry shop of Transcorp Hilton.

The incident which Dan Nwanyanwu has blown out of proportion was an innocuos encounter between him and Emmanuel Moses,a Rivers man from Emohua LGA . Emmanuel is a something of a comedian and a jolly good fellow with no criminal records whatsoever. On the day in question, on sighting Dan Nwanyanwu, he strolled over to innocently enquire why Nwanyanwu was intent on maligning a man who had done nothing to him,and whom he had ran to severally for favours in the past and whom he had been recently seeking appointments to meet without success.

Being an agent provocateur, Dan Nwanyanwu latched on to the harmless engagement, as a causus belli, to launch into his accustomed theatrics, raising a ruckus and screaming that Emmanuel Moses, has threatened to kill him. He surmoned security men including 5 gun totting soldiers in the hotel, who intimidated Emmanuel Moses and made him to sign a document written by one the conniving security officials without allowing him to read it,and also at gun point.

Beyond the theatricals and the 'notice me' posture of Dan Nwanyanwu, there are serious issues for consideration:
1. Is Dan Nwanyanwu a factor in Rivers politics?
2. What is Nwanyanwu's interest in fanning the crisis in Rivers State?

From the issues raised above, it is clear that Dan Nwanyanwu is a cheap hustler and a gun for hire. That is why he is more interested in stoking the needless crisis in Rivers State, which meddlesome interlopers and conflict entreprenures like him are exploiting for personal gain. we are also aware that he is on the payroll of a known Abuja land grabber who is unhappy with the Minister's drive to restore the FCT Master Plan and stop land racketeering. No wonder he has recently upgraded and now lives and frequents expensive hotels like the Nicon Hilton with his circus trade mark hat.

Dan Nwanyanwu's wild claims against the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike, is not only scurrilous, but a calculated and orchestrated hatchet job, conjured by a desperate and depraved mind, driven by lucre and insatiable greed. Nwanyanwu's single motive is to leverage on the Rivers political crisis, make a quick buck and curry favour from opponents of the Minister of the FCT.

This has been a time worn practice of Dan Nwanyanwu, who is a failed politician and a broke old man, seeking to cash out from the Rivers crisis. For years he turned the Labour Party into a personal ATM. Instead of building and nurturing Labour Party into a political brand, he used it as a political ATM, he used it as a platform for extortion, aggrandisement and cheap theatricals, until he was sacked in ignominy.

He is at his game once more and Chief Wike is his target. Perennially broke, Dan Nwanyanwu has been recruited in his latest endeavor, as an agent of land grabbers and some state governors, who are offended by the rising profile of the workaholic Minister and land the land reforms instituted by the FCT under his watch.

There is no dept that is too low for Nwanyanwu to crawl into, once he has smelled the whiff of money. He can do anything to survive, not having any means of livelihood.

His job is to move from the bar of one high profile hotel in Abuja to the other,listening to gossip, spreading disinformation and looking for potential clients for his dubious trade.

Today, he is posturing as the national chairman of Zenith Labour Party, a party that has serially failed to meet up with INEC registration criteria,and hasnt produced any elected member at local and national levels of politics. Instead of concentrating on how to position his party for the next round of elections, he is busy at his usual gimmicks of conjuring political falsehood for the highest bidder.

In tandem with his brother, Imo Ikenga Ugochinyere, who has left his business of representing, the good people of Ideato, they have descended on Rivers State, like a band of depraved political locust intent on feasting on the Rivers treasury.

It will be a disservice to Rivers people if any politician in Rivers State will fall to the antics of these political. buccaneers, who are on a treasure hunt. We call on all Rivers politicians and indeed Nigerians to be weary of do gooders and conflict entrepreneurs who are solely interested in milking Rivers State dry.

KONIJU KINGSHIP: AN ATTEMPT TO Re-write the history of Okrika and FORMENT UNNECESSARY CRISIS IN OKRIKA TOWN.


By Duke Tamuno


French philosopher, Victor Hugo, admonished that evil trives, because good men and women often chose to keep silent or do nothing.


The Holy Scriptures in Job Chapter 24 verse 2 (New Living Translation (NLT) tells us that "Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers. They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures"


This is why we have chosen to respond to attempts to enthrone evil, through a contrived KONIJU KINGSHIP.


Recently, the Rivers State governor, His Excellency Sir Siminialayi Fubara, was politically misled into issuing an official Gazette, ordering "That the first schedule to the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law, No. 4 of 2015 be amended as shown hereunder: "By inserting at Column 2(1st Class) at serial No.18 (OKRIKA) the traditional cheiftancy stool known as and called Amanyanabo of KONIJU".


Its important to note that Rivers State since it's creation in 1967 has been governed by 16 former Governors ,five of them are former indigenous Governors of the new Rivers State,excluding Bayalsa State.How ever non of the five former Governors gave Recognition to the Amanyanabo of koniju in Okrika Town because it's illegal.


Not only is illegal, but a grave assault on history and tradition, and also a travesty of justice aimed at Okrika people.


To properly situate this grave assault on our people, history and tradition, we must beckon on history to be our guide.


The first question that arises is, what is the origin of KONIJU? When and how did they emerge? ,Okrika clan is made up of 9 nine Ancient Towns namely- Okrika(kirike) Town,Ogoloma,Ogu, Bolo,Abuloma,Ogbogbo,Ibaka,Isaka,Ele.No koniju .


According to a colonial document issued by the District Officer of Degema Province on 23 November, 1953, Okrika was made up of 12 ( quarters) known as Biri, namely; Ambeme Biri, Agba, Egwere, Bilime, Tomo, Bulome, Edereme, Awolome, Adedeme, Ngeme, Amanongo Biri and Anyangu. These are the Biris that make up Okrika Town, under the suzerainty of the Amanyanabo of Okrika Town.
There is no component or Biri known as KONIJU.


The Nigerian Gazette published in Lagos, 20th March, 1953, on the Report of an Inquiry held under the Collective Punishment Ordinance (Chapter 34) on the crisis between Okrika and Ogoloma towns, which referenced the Porter Intelligence Report (1933) on the Okrika clan and the report of the Robinson Commission of Enquiry (1950) into the Okrika -Kalabari disputes, identified and re-,affirmed the 12 Biris afformentiined as the components of Okrika Town.


In the book "MY DESTINY; AN AUTO BIOGRAPHY OF HRH SIR S.P.U. OGAN , ADO VIII, AMANYANABO OF OKRIKA", the revered monarch wrote, "Between 1896, when King Ibanichuka, Ado VI, Amanyanabo of Okrika, was deported by the British Colonial powers and 1928, Chief Daniel Oju Kalio was the undisputed Paramount ruler of Okrika. At his demise, in 1928, when I was still a minor, Chief Samson Igobo Adoki had the ambition of imposing himself as Paramount ruler, because he was educated and enlightened. But when his fellow chiefs opposed him, the result was a bitter rivalry, which culminated in the division of the kingdom into KONIJU and TUBONIJU.


According to the proceedings of the Graham Commission of Inquiry into the incessant cause of Riots in Okrika, 1962 -1963, Chief Samson Igobo Adoki, during his testimony denied that he was the originator of the KONIJU and TUBONIJU. He said that names KONIJU and TUBONIJU were just appelations merely used to show the occupation of Okrika people. TUBONIJU means TRADERS and KONIJU means FISHERFOLKS.


The report of the Commission of Inquiry into the outbreak of violence in Okrika (Official document No. 23 of 1963) abhored the division of Okrika Town into Koniju and Tuboniju.


According to the report," Government should commence the process by which the division of Okrika Town into Koniju and Tuboniju sections, will eventually disappear, by no longer dealing, through it's agents, -the Provincial Commissioner and Provincial Secretary-, with the Chief Honourable Samson Adoki and Chief John George, as the respective head chiefs of these sections and deal with Okrika as a whole through the legally constituted legal instruments of government, the Okrika Town Council...."


It is therefore strange and bewildering to understand the basis of the Rivers State Government Gazzette No. 23, Vol. 59 of 28th December, 2023.


Clearly the purpose of the orchestrators and facilitators of this heinous attempt to divide Okrika Town is to plunge Okrika into a fresh round of crisis. Seeking to carve out a non existent town and a non existent stool as a counter poise to the known and widely recognized stool of Amanyanabo of Okrika Town, is a recipe for chaos and anarchy.


The Supreme Court of Nigeria in Suit No 13/87/1963 SC 615/1965 between Chief Gabriel Wemimo Opu-Tibeya and R.J. Graham, administrative Officer and Attorney-General, Ministry of Justice, Eastern region, affirmed the report of the Graham Commission of Inquiry that Okrika Town is made up of 12 Biris, with the Amanyanabo of Okrika as it's Paramount ruler.


The KONIJU phenomena can be traced to the failed bud of Chief Samson Igobo Adoki in 1928 to foist himself as the paramount ruler of Okrika. Having failed in his bid, he introduced the KONIJU and TUBONIJU controversy, which has since been tested by several court judgements.


We therefore urge Governor Siminalayi Fubara to retrace his steps and not allow himself to be used in a desperate attempt by equally desperate modern day incarnation of Samson Adoki to plunge Okrika Town into an unnecessary and avoidable crisis. Gov. Fubara swore to an oath to uphold the law. The Rivers State Gazette No.23 of December 28th, 2023 is in direct contradiction to previous court judgments.


We wish to remind His Excellency the teachings of the Holy Scriptures in Deuteronomy Chapter 19, verse 14 ; "Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess".


We urge the government to seek wise professional counsel such as historians with reference to late Prof Emeritus Tekena Tamuno ,Prof Emeritus Alaguo and others who made the 1978 chieftaincy Law without problems in our communities and allow peace to reign in Okrika.

LG Autonomy: CLO Hails Supreme Court judgment

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO has welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming fiscal autonomy for local government councils across Nigeria.

In a joint statement released on Friday, the South South Zone and the Rivers state branch of the CLO, the ruling was described as “a win for the people of Nigeria” and a step in the right direction.
The Supreme Court’s decision overturns the previous practice of consolidating local council revenues into state government accounts.
The CLO statement signed by Styvn Obodoekwe, Zonal Director and Barr. Anayo Peter Uwabuike, Interim State Chairman, lamented the earlier arrangement, stating that it was borne out of politics of hasty compromise.
Expressing it's support for the ruling, the human rights group said, “We align with the decision of the Supreme Court that the structure of the Nigerian government is portioned in three layers, and of these, the local governments should be centres of development.”
On Thursday, the Supreme Court declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.

The seven-man panel, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.

The apex court held that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government, the federal, the state and the local government.

The court further declared that a state government has no power to appoint a caretaker committee and a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.

However, the CLO wants to state clearly that LGAs should begin to produce budgets as required by law and should begin to make their annual budgets open, participatory and accessible to the public. The era of toying with LGA funds should be over and should no longer be tolerated. This is a foundation for accountability in managing LGA funds.

RSG Suspends Omoku Youth President...As Omoku Youths Pass Vote of no Confidence, Removes Embattled President, Secretary General from Office.

The Rivers State Ministry of Youth Development, has suspended the President of Omoku Youth Federation, Comrade Chinedu Onyije from office citing insubordination, flagrant disobedience and disregard to official directives. The first Vice President, Comrade Owurre Sunday Bright, is to act as the president pending further directives.

According to a letter signed in behalf of the Ministry by Loveday Chibuzor Agbam, Director, Network and Social Mobilization, and copied to the Oba of Ogbaland, His Eminence, Dr. Nwachukwu Obuoha Obi, companies and security agencies, the reasons adduced for the suspension bothered on serial misdemeanor by the sacked president.

According to the letter, a copy of which was made available to this publication, "following the flagrant disobedience, non compliance to official directives and gross insurbordination to constituted authority and other acts of misconduct by Comrade Chinedu Onyije, the Ministry of Youth Development, in discharging its responsibility and mandate of supervising, coordinating and regulating the activities of youth bodies in the state, hereby suspends Comrade Chinedu Onyije from office of the President Omoku Youth Federation till further notice.

Continuing, the letter noted, to this effect, in accordance with the Omoku Youth Federation Constitution, Section 7A, Sub-section 1, the First Vice President, Comrade Owurre Sunday Bright, shall act as the President of Omoku Youth Federation with effect from 5th July, 2024, pending further directives.

Meanwhile, the Omoku Youth Federation in a congress on Monday, 8th July, 2024, has passed a vote of no confidence on the suspended president of the association and his Secretary General, citing a collective loss of confidence on the ability of the duo to lead the youth association with integrity and honesty.

The Omoku Youth Federation in a communique issued in Omoku at the Youth Development Centre, Obohia, announced the removal of Chinedu Onyije and Charles Adiela, as President and Secretary General of the association, respectively, citing extortion of money from vulnerable individuals in exchange for job opportunities meant for the association and embezzling funds belonging to the association for personal gains.

The youth body accused the ousted president of conspiring and engaging in series of misconduct contrary to the constitution of OYF, actions which runs contrary to Article 14A(VI) and (VII) of the constitution of OYF (as amended), thereby betraying the trust and confidence placed on them as President and Secretary General, by members of the OYF.

Rivers State House of Assembly and The Challenge of Rectifying the Balkanization OF Chieftaincy Stools in Rivers State.


By Monima Briggs.

Recently the Kano state House of Assembly in a historic resolution, overturned the ruling of the previous Assembly which removed the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and further divided the Kano Emirate into four. The Kano Assembly not only in the landmark legislation restored Sanusi to his throne but scrapped the four emirates, thereby restoring peace and stability to the land.

Also, recently a judgment of a Port Harcourt High court quashed attempts to balkanize the traditional stool of the Kula kingdom and in Okrika a High court ruled against the government recognition and certification of one of the newly created stooles in Okrika kingdom, however the ruling is on Appeal.

In the past years, the traditional ruling institution has suffered from the interference and manipulation of political office holders, who through gerrymandering of traditional institutions has tempered with the hierarchy and organogram of many kingdoms all in a bid to score cheap political gains, favour their loyalists or punish dissenters. This has not only thrown the institution into chaos and plagued the state with instability, but also stultified development, as in practically every chiefdom or kingdom, across the state, chieftaincy litigation is the order of the day. Scarce resources and valuable manhours are invested into court cases, while occasionally plaguing the communities with violence.

In all the known kingdoms in the state, varying degrees of chieftaincy problems, ranging from creation of new and non-existing chieftaincy stools, recognition of pretenders, and deliberate undermining of recognized and ancient stools, has all combined to create an atmosphere of uneasy tension and regular flaring up of violence.

In the Ekpeye kingdom, Ogoniland, Okrika Kingdom, Abua, Kalabariland, Akpor, Ikwerre, Etche and Omuma, the result of these deliberate manipulation has wreaked havoc with the order and ranking of traditional stools.

This is why the move by Kano State House of Assembly by its recent move has pointed a way out of the storm for us. The Rivers State House of Assembly must commence the process of auditing the all the Chieftaincy laws and activities relating to the chieftaincy institution undertaking by the past two administrations of the state as most of them were not done in the interest of the state or of the people but to serve narrow and jaundiced political ends.



The traditional ruling stools must be insulated from the manipulation of politicians, if the state must develop and grow. So many traditional stools are today denied recognition due to political reasons, while many are given recognition, even when it is obvious that it lacks merit.

The challenge before the Rivers State House of Assembly is to carry out an urgent review of the recognition and classification of chieftaincy stools in the past 12 years. Such a process will not only reveal the deliberate manipulation of the process of recognition and classification of stools, and offer the opportunity of righting the wrongs, and I pray that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Executive Governor of Rivers State will consider the above observations in his forthcoming traditional rulers recognition and certification ceremony.

One year scorecard: Indeed, Wike is working


By Nafiu Abdul

History is in the making as beginning from tomorrow, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will flag off the commissioning of projects in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

President Tinubu is presenting his scorecard through the various ministers and telling the world what his administration has been able to achieve in the past one year.

For some days now the ministers, only God knows their number, have been presenting their scorecard.

While they are making their presentations, many Nigerians know the truth that most of them are simply warming the ministerial slots. Some of them know, that they have failed Mr. President, failed themselves and failed the nation at large.


However, there is one minister, among a few others, whose performance, so far, has been superlative. He is the workaholic minister that goes with the sobriquet, Mr. Project. He is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

He is the man that has upped the ante of performance. His contributions to the infrastructural development of Abuja can give Mr. President almost 45 per cent of total performance of the All Progressives Congress, APC, renewed hope administration in the last one year.

The blind can feel it and the deaf can see that Abuja is now a huge construction site. All over the city, the change is enveloping residents, and it is one aspect of infrastructural development that can be seen and felt by all.

Abuja is changing in a lot of ways. But the most poignant and standout expression of the changes are the incredible amount of work that’s been done on the road network since Wike came on board as the FCT minister.


For sure, Mr. President can conveniently say that he did not make a mistake in the appointment of Wike as FCT minister. This is because the pace of development of Abuja is significantly dependent on the capacity and qualities of the man assigned by the president as the FCT minister.

Indeed, when President Tinubu appointed Nyesom Wike on 21st August, 2023, as the 17th Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, tongues were let loose, but even critics have now accepted that, indeed, Wike is working. History has a way of throwing up persons with a difference to sharpen its perspective in any given epoch.

Wike is a young man in a hurry but resolute to write his name in gold. He bowed to the overpowering zeal to serve humanity. His strength of character and no nonsense reputation for getting results has made this passionate political leader from Rivers state to prove that success is no respecter of gender but favours hard work, tenacity and purpose.


It appears that even in his stride, Barrister Nyesom Wike has already commenced efforts to stamp his feet in history as a man who utilised his office to make a profound difference in the lives of the people, especially rural dwellers. He is deliberate, intentional, purposeful, radical, creative and outstanding.

The job of steering Abuja to the path of rapid development, a smart and functional city full of opportunities for all, a city capable of global competitiveness, intelligent and compassionate slum renewal regime, creative satellite towns development and security architecture transformation are some of the hurdles Nyesom Wike has been able to cross to write his name in gold.

He is living up to the billing as a minister, and the good work that he is doing must be admired and commended. On his achievements within the past nine months he been supervising the affairs of FCT and the one year of Mr. President, Wike has been able to change the narrative as he ensured the exit of the FCTA from the Treasury Single Account (TSA)

On resumption as Minister of the FCT, Wike advocated the exit of the FCTA from the TSA to pave the way for access to FCT’s internally generated revenue for the execution of projects. President Tinubu graciously granted immediate approval. This has ensured a more robust financial base for the administration to implement much-needed projects.

As part of efforts to strengthen the administrative structure of the FCTA as well as ensure improved welfare and the career progression of staff, the minister sought approval for the immediate implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission Act which was passed into law in 2018.

The minister, under the Act, also approved the appointment of the FCTA head of service and nine permanent secretaries.

He also sought for the creation of a Secretariat of Women Affairs and in October 2023, Mr. President approved the creation of the Secretariat for Women Affairs in FCT with Mrs. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi as its pioneer Mandate Secretary.

As part of the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu in the FCT, Wike also embarked on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of dilapidated schools with a flag-off event in the FCT School for the Gifted in Gwagwalada.

A total of 19 schools are scheduled for rehabilitation with 21 more earmarked for same in the 2024 budget.

Determined to ensure that no ongoing project is abandoned in the FCT, the minister embarked on the completion of the ongoing road projects that had hitherto been abandoned.

The minister identified the impediments to the completion of the projects such as poor funding due to low revenue generation. Several efforts were made to enforce the payment of outstanding ground rents and taxes in the FCT to shore up revenue generation.

To ensure development in the rural areas of the FCT, the minister also embarked on the construction of at least five kilometer roads in each of the six Area Councils of the FCT.

The roads which were deemed as very important were identified by the stakeholders in the FCT Area Councils which included construction/rehabilitation of 9km Paikon Kore-Ibwa road in Gwagwalada Area Council

There were the construction of temporary access road to Saburi 1 and 2 Communities within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from old Keffi Road near Dei-Dei International Market FCT and the construction/rehabilitation of 7.2km Gaba-Tokulo road in Bwari Area Council

Also included was the construction of a 5km asphalt carriageway from Garage Junction to LEA Secretariat, Kuje Area Council; Construction of 11km Yangoji-Sukuku-Ebo road in Kwali Area Council and the Construction of 5km Naharati-River Ukya-Unguwan Hausawa Road in Abaji Area Council

These rural roads are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. When completed, the road will improve security in the rural areas as well as access to markets and farmlands. They will also encourage the development of rural areas, thereby reducing rural-urban migration in the FCT.

Wike came into office at a time of heightened insecurity in the nation’s capital. He held series of stakeholder engagements with the FCT Area Councils where far-reaching decisions were made to tackle the threats of insecurity in the FCT. He donated 100 motorcycles to the various security agencies to be used for policing the rural and semi-urban areas of the FCT.

More than 40 years after its creation, the FCT, under Wike, is set as from May 29, to have a functional rail transport system. He embarked on the rehabilitation of the vandalised rail tracks and renovation of the train stations, as well as the provision of access roads and parking lots to the train stations in the FCT.

To the glee of the FCT residents, the Abuja metro line is among the projects that will be commissioned and opened to the use of the public by the president on Wednesday.

With these, and many others, there is no doubt that, indeed, Wike is working and Abuja nay Nigeria is benefiting accordingly.

Abdul is an Abuja based journalist

CSO Demands Arrest and Prosecution of Cassidy Ikegbidi Over Akoh Killings, Petitions DSS, Presidency.


A Civil Society Grouoy, the Rivers Coalition for Human Rights (RCHR) has petioned the The Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, demanding the arrest and prosecution of High Chief Cassidy O W. Ikegbidi, over a series of unresolved murders in Akoh Kingdom, Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State.

The petition which was copied to the Presidency and the National Security Adviser to the President, was titled: "A Save Our Soul Call on the Unresolved Murders in Igbuh Akoh Kingdom, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State and the need to bring the culprits to Justice".


The group alleged in the petition that "Since 2015, the people of Igbuh Akuh Kingdom, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been gripped in fear following a wave of unresolved, systematic and calculated killings, which were orchestrated by a criminal gang led by Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba).


According to the group, in the petition Signed by Comrade Solomon Olali
(Convener), Hanna Ekadi (Secretary) and Jenewari Briggs (Investigation and Advocacy Officer), "Within this period acts of terrorism, mass murder, rape, abuse of human rights were unleashed on the people by criminal elements working under the direct patronage and sponsorship of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi, and executed by the criminal gang led by Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 Baba), This led to the total desertion of villages of Igbuh Akuh by the people for fear of death and destructions of their properties".


The group provided a gory list of person's murdered in Akoh, stating, "Listed below are the results of the gory harvest of death, blood spilling, unleashed on the innocent people of Igbuh Akuh Kigndom, by High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba) and his terror gang".

According to the list, "On February 6th 2016, on the instructions of the suspects , particularly High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, one Dr. Vincent Enwukagbiyor was killed in cold blood by cult group headed by Gift David (2 Baba); On the 10th of June, 2017 the same cult group led by 2 Baba on the instruction of High Chief Cassidy murdered one Dr. Studio Aguyi; On the 12th of February, Mrs. Chigbewejim Lawyer was killed by the suspects herein mentioned; On the 4th of May, 2023 Mr. Mattew Ebenezer from Abarikpo was killed by the suspects on record; Aburi Edi Dickson also an indigene of Abarikpo was killed on the 31st of May , 2023; The suspects on record masterminded the murder of Papa Eze on the 13th of July, 2022.; Chief Alugo Joseph was killed on the 28th of April 2022abour 9.20 am, he is from Odhiaje Community; Chukwu Kpasa was killed on the 8th of May, 2022. He is from Odiemerenyi; Chief Ayada Sunday was killed on the 21st of September, 2021 from Odiemude community; Barr. Nathan E. Akatakpo, a Uk trained Lawyer who recently came home for visits was murdered in cold blood and his body mutilated by the suspects on the 21sth of November at about 7:30 Pm, the said lawyer is from Ogbo Community; Happy C. Allen was killed on the 1st of December, 2022 at about 1 am; he is a native of Ogbo Community; Elder James Okorji was killed on the 5th of September 2022, he is from Ihuagbogo Community; Mr. Lazarus Jerome was killed on the 23rd of November, 2022. He is from Ihuagbogo Community.


The group revealled that 'A state of anomie and hopelessness now pervades the area. Due to fear and poverty, a lot of these murder cases have remained unresolved, which only emboldened the culprits".

The group noted that people of Igbuh Akoh Kingdom deserves the protection of the law as law abiding citizens, as they have been forced to live under a dark and gloomy cloud of fear and certainty as life for them has become nasty, brutish and short.


The Rivers Coalition for Human Rights, in the petition copied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said, "We are therefore constrained to reach out to your good office to urgently intervene by ordering for a take over of the matter by the DSS, in other to ensure that the culprits are brought to book and ensuring justice and closure for the victims and their families".


The group assured that dependents of all the victims shall be produced during the course of nvestigations to give testimonies.

Murder of DPO: Cassidy Ikegbidi Still Has Case, Human Rights NGO Insist. Petitions President Tinubu, IGP.

A Human Rights NGO based in Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital, the Rivers Coalition for Human Rights (RCHR), has reacted to a recent court judgement, which acquitted High Chief Cassidy O.W. Ikegbidi of culpability in the murder of the DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim.

Describing the acquittal of Cassidy Ikegbidi as a "travesty of justice", the group alleged that there was a "deliberate bungling of the investigation and prosecution by compromised police officers and State prosecutors". This according to the group in the petition led to the Miscarriage of Justice in the case of High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, a key mastermind of the death of late DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim and orchestrator of scores of other killings in Ahoada East LGA, Rivers State.



The group alleged that in the desperate bid to ensure that the true story of how DPO Bako Amgbashim was murdered remains buried, "facts and evidences relating to the matter were suppressed in a sinister bid to procure freedom for High Chief Ikegbidi. A thorough investigation will unravel the criminal nexus between High Chief Ikegbidi and the terror gang led by 2Baba and the murder of SP. Bako Amgbashim and scores of other killings in the Igbuh Akoh area".



The petition is reproduced below:

Rivers Coalition for Human Rights (RCHR)
#13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Tel: 08064758981



The Inspector General of Police
Lous Edet House
Abuja. Nigeria

4th May, 2024

Sir,
Petition on the deliberate bungling of the investigation and prosecution by compromised police officers and State prosecutors and Miscarriage of Justice in the case of High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, a key mastermind of the death of late DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim and orchestrator of scores of other killings in Ahoada East LGA, Rivers State.


We are constrained to cry out to you over what we perceive as deliberate lack of diligent prosecution and improper investigation by some compromised police officers in Rivers state, with the sole intent of muddling up the arraignment of a key mastermind of the murder of the late DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim. We have it on good authority that the Police prosecuting team were leaned upon and compromised to sabotage the trial of the alleged mastermind who was arraigned before a law court in Rivers State, which resulted in his acquittal.


In the wake of the gruesome and brutal murder of Police Superintendent Bako Amgbashim, one of the suspects arrested was High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi, who was a known patron and accomplice of Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba and his terror gang, who advertised in a video that went viral that they killed the gallant police officer.


We are troubled that High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi and others implicated in the brutal killing and dozens of other murders in Ekpeyeland, were recently acquitted owing to the compromise of the officers charged with the prosecution of the case. It may interest you to know that in his desperation to escape from Justice, High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi was alleged to have showered over N40m on the Police team. If this procured acquittal is allowed to stand, it would amount to a travesty of justice as the hands of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi and his terror gang are dripping with the blood of Ekpeye people and other Nigerians.


For instance the native doctor who confessed that he saw and recognised Chief Cassidy at the camp of 2 Baba when he went to perfect the charm to demobilize Bako,was mysteriously murdered in Police custody. The native doctor positively identified Chief Ikegbidi during the suspects parade. The commander of Octopus Strike Unit, Superintendent Livinis Iwuh who was in custody of the confessional videos and tapes refused to release them to the authorities and was surreptitiously transferred out of Rivers State, at a time he should have been a key prosecution witness.


The former Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, was fully briefed on Cassidy Ikegbidi's complicity in the heinous murder, and was fully aware of the strength of the evidence gathered in the course of the investigation. Thus was why he ordered the arrest and arraignment of Cassidy Ikegbidi. Both Police officers should be sumoned to appear to throw more light on the matter.


Other accomplices and gang members of 2Baba, who were arrested including the one who confessed that they killed a pregnant mad woman in Bayelsa, in other to use the feotus to prepare a charm, all pointed to Cassidy Ikegbidi as a key patron of their terror gang and their leader, 2Baba.


From the above mentioned examples, it is clear that facts and evidences were suppressed in a sinister bid to procure freedom for High Chief Ikegbidi. A thorough investigation will unravel the criminal nexus between High Chief Ikegbidi and the terror gang led by 2Baba and the murder of SP. Bako Amgbashim and scores of other killings in the Igbuh Akoh area.


It will interest you to note that since 2015, the people of Igbuh Akuh Kingdom, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been grappling with unresolved systematic and calculated mass killings, which were orchestrated by High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba) and their terror gang. Within this period acts of terrorisms, mass murder, rape, abuse of rights by criminal elements working under the direct control of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 Baba) and their terror gang, led to the total desertion of villages of Igbuh Akuh by the people for fear of death and destructions of properties.


Listed below are the results of the gory harvest of death, blood spilling, unleashed on the innocent people of Igbuh Akuh Kigndom, by High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba) and their terror gang. A state of anomie and hopelessness was unleashed on the poor innocent people. Due to fear and poverty, a lot of these murder cases remained unresolved, which only emboldened the culprits to kill SP Bako Angbashim.


 On February 6th 2016, on the instructions of the suspects , particularly High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, one Dr. Vincent Enwukagbiyor was killed in cold blood by cult group headed by Gift David (2 Baba). We have attached victims’ pictures for better clarifications.
 On the 10th of June, 2017 the same cult group led by 2 Baba on the instruction of High Chief Cassidy murdered one Dr. Studio Aguyi.
 On the 12th of February, Mrs. Chigbewejim Lawyer was killed by the suspects herein mentioned.
 On the 4th of May, 2023 Mr. Mattew Ebenezer from Abarikpo was killed by the suspects on record.
 Aburi Edi Dickson also an indigene of Abarikpo was killed on the 31st of May , 2023
 The suspects on record masterminded the murder of Papa Eze on the 13th of July, 2022.
 Chief Alugo Joseph was killed on the 28th of April 2022abour 9.20 am, he is from Odhiaje Community.
 Chukwu Kpasa was killed on the 8th of May, 2022. He is from Odiemerenyi.
 Chief Ayada Sunday was killed on the 21st of September, 2021 from Odiemude community.
 Barr. Nathan E. Akatakpo, a Uk trained Lawyer who recently came home for visits was murdered in cold blood and his body mutilated by the suspects on the 21sth of November at about 7:30 Pm, the said lawyer is from Ogbo Community.
 Happy C. Allen was killed on the 1st of December, 2022 at about 1 am; he is a native of Ogbo Community.
 Elder Jamed Okorji was killed on the 5th of September 2022, he is from Ihuagbogo Community.
 Mr. Lazarus Jerome was killed on the 23rd of November, 2022. He is from Ihuagbogo Community.
(Find attached pictorial evidence of these heinous murders)


We are therefore constrained to reach out to your good office to urgently intervene by ordering for a transfer of the investigations to Force Headquarters in Abuja and a fresh arraignment of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi to avoid it being compromised by tainted police officers, who may have been procured to deliver a hidden agenda.


Dependents of all the victims enumerated above shall be produced during the course of investigations. We pray you to use your good offices to ensure that justice is not only seen to be done in this matter but to send a message to criminals and their cohorts anywhere in Nigeria that nobody is above the law.


Signed


Comrade Solomon Olali
Convener


Hanna Ekadi
Secretary


Jenewari Briggs
Investigation and Advocacy Officer.


C.C.
1. The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
2. The Senate President
3. The Speaker, House of Representatives
4. The Honourable Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
5. The National Security Adviser to the President
6. The Director General, Department of State Services (DSS)

Prince Chibudom Nwuche sues Refinitiv Limited for inaccurate, incomplete and misleading information about him on World Check Database: demands Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages


Prince Chibudom Nwuche, a lawyer and former Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, has sued a multinational corporation, Refinitiv Limited (1st Defendant), and two others and is seeking the sum of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages.

Refinitiv, which is an American-British company and a global provider of financial market data and infrastructure, has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom. The Company maintains a due diligence database known as World-Check Risk Intelligence Database. The database, amongst others, provides information about politically exposed persons as well as their family members and close associates, to interested financial institutions, companies and individuals around the world.

In the action filed at the High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt, Prince Chibudom Nwuche (the Claimant) asserted that Refinitiv i) owes him a duty of care to ensure that the information about him in its due diligence database is complete, accurate and not misleading, ii) breached the duty of care owed to him and has been grossly negligent in the way and manner it collated the information about him on its database; iii) World Check database contains incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading information about him; iv) failed or neglected to take necessary steps to ensure the accuracy and veracity of the newspaper reports it relied on before adding his name to one of its uncomplimentary and negative category; and v) has continued to maintain the incomplete, inaccurate and misleading information about him in his data even after its attention has been drawn to this via letters supported by cogent and verifiable documentary evidence.

The Claimant therefore contends that he has suffered economic losses and reputational damage as a result of Refinitiv’s action. According to the Claimant, his bank accounts were closed by First Bank UK Limited (2nd Defendant) and TD Canada Trust (3rd Defendant) after relying on the information on Refinitiv’s database. Even more worrisome to the Claimant is the fact that his family members are now being affected by the acts of Refinitiv. Specifically, his daughter was denied opening an account with USB Bank, Switzerland owing to her categorization by the bank as a politically exposed person (PEP) on the basis that her father was a PEP.

The Claimant is now contending in his action that he is no longer a PEP having left public office over 20 years ago and that his continued classification as a PEP by Refinitiv is unjustifiable and wrong. The Claimant also contends that he does not deserve the reputational damage and economic losses being caused by the Refinitiv’s World Check due diligence database as he is an honest and hard-working Nigerian who can account for every penny and asset he owns.

Essentially, he was already a very successful business man even before ever vying for elective office and founded several companies that were active in the downstream Petroleum sector, trading refined products in Africa, and offering engineering and construction services to the major oil and gas companies including Shell, Agip, Mobil etc. The companies he founded also partnered with several international multinational companies that were industry leaders in the oil and gas sectors and won many large seismic contracts with Shell, Agip, etc. People active in the private sector between 1991 – 1999 can verify this fact. He has always maintained that he ran for elective office solely as a service to his people and not for any other purpose.

Accordingly, he confirmed in the action that even during his tenure as the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee of the Whole between 1999 – 2003, he was neither found wanting nor accused by anyone of involvement in any corrupt practice in spite of his involvement in the passage of important pieces of legislation and several budgets running in to trillions of Naira in Nigeria.

The High Court on 24 April 2024 granted the Claimant’s application for leave to serve the Defendants outside jurisdiction. The matter is now scheduled to come up on 26 June 2024 for further proceedings.

Group Petitions E.F. Network Limited Over Illegal Mining and Export of Lithium.

A group, the Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC), has petitioned a Nigerian registered company, E.F NETWORK LIMITED, to the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations of colluding with Chinese Nationals resident in Nigeria to illegally mine and export Lithium out of the country.

E.F. Network Limited is a Nigerian registered business incorporated in Port Harcourt/Nigeria, with registration number 271506. It was registered on 02 May 1995 and it's current status is unknown. The company's registered office address is 191 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) database, the owners/directors/key management personnel of the company are; Gideon Egbuchulam, Egbuchulam Angela, Ogwudire Davis, Abbas Garuba, and Onyeali Vincent.

The listed business interests of the company on its Twitter page are; IT Solutions/Cyber Security Tracking Systems, Waste Management Services and E-commerce and Cloud Services.

The Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition in it's petition disclosed that it was tipped of by some patriotic Nigerians on the activities of E.F. Network Limited and it's Managing Director, Gideon Egbuchulam,who operates out of Plot 31 Pope John Paul Street, Maitama, Abuja, in collusion with some Chinese businessmen in illegally mining and exporting Lithium out of Nigeria.

The group disclosed that Gideon Egbuchulam and his Chinese cohorts, in colabodation with an accomplice based in Jos, Plateua State , has been illegally mining and stockpiling Lithium in a Warehouse in Jos, and exporting same without paying the requisite taxes and without any official license to export the solid minerals out of the country.

The group urged the DSS to inmidiately institute a probe of the activities of Gideon Egbuchulam and E.F. Network Limited and his Chinese partners to prevent the country from being duped.

Group Demands Probe of Bala Wunti, NAPIMS GGM.

A group the, Citizens Watch Coalition has petitioned the Nigerian Senate Demanding the Probe of the Group General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti. Recall that as part of the restructuring and consolidation of the NNPC Limited, NAPIMS is now known as the NNPC Upstream Investment Commission. Until his elevation as GGM, one of the most influential roles in the Nigerian Oil industry, Wunti was the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the NNPC Upstream Management Services.

The group in the petition alleged Multi-billion Dollar Corruption, Massive Contracts Fraud and Sabotage of the nation’s economy by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti.

In the petition addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas (Petroluem Resources, the group alleged that "Overtime, independent industry sources have revealed that Wunti allegedly awarded different contracts in flagrant violation of the procurement processes and only to companies endorsed by him. According to these sources, the NNPC boss is also known for frustrating oil development operations over his alleged greed and personal interest".

Urging the Senate to urgently probe the state of affairs at NAPIMS, the group disclosed, "There is no doubt that the activities of Bala Wunti represent a clear and present danger to the survival of the Nigerian oil sector, if allowed to continue. This is an urgent call on the Senate to initiate a thorough investigation into the activities of Bala Wunti and his management of NAPIMS".

The petition is reproduced below:

Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC)
#22 Mbiama-Yenagoa Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Tel: 07064748981. whistleblower@gmail.com.

The Chairman
Senate Committee on Gas(Petroleum Resources)
National Assembly
Abuja.

Sir,
Petition on the Multi-billion Dollar Corruption, Massive Contracts Fraud and Sabotage of the nation’s economy by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti.

We are constrained to address this petition to your office, in recognition of the fact that the National Assembly remains the true representatives of the Nigerian People and owes the electorates the obligation to stand as a bulwark against corruption and economic sabotage.

It is no secret that over the years, some top management staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited have been accused of awarding fraudulent multi-billion dollars contracts without recourse to procedure and due process. Of immediate concern is the fact that if what was described as corrupt practices in the nations apex oil industry was a trickle, today we are confronted by an avalanche, that if left unchecked will doom oil production and lead to a possible economic meltdown occasioned by lost oil revenue.

Leading the pack in this upsurge of corrupt practices, according to confidential sources within the industry and preliminary investigations is the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti. Instructively, as part of the restructuring and consolidation of the NNPC Limited, NAPIMS is now known as the NNPC Upstream Investment Services. Until his elevation as GGM, one of the most influential roles in the Nigerian Oil industry, Wunti was the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the NNPC Upstream Management Services. It was reliably gathered that Wunti got the job through the influence of Malam Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff to President Buhari. He hails from the same Bauchi State as Mrs Kyari.

Overtime, independent industry sources have revealed that Wunti allegedly awarded different contracts in flagrant violation of the procurement processes and only to companies endorsed by him.

According to these sources, the NNPC boss is also known for frustrating oil development operations over his alleged greed and personal interest.

Following the transition of the NNPC into a public limited liability company saddled with the responsibilities of raising funds both locally and internationally with huge investors' confidence, it is expected that its operations will be run transparently and devoid of any whiff of sharp practices. It goes without saying that any hint of scandal associated with the company will immensely affect her image and also the country at large.

This is why the Nigerian Senate must rise to the occasion and probe into the operations of the management of NNPC, now NNPC Ltd and specifically the current GGM of NAPIMS, Bala Wunti who over the years with the collaboration of his cohorts in both the multinational and indigenous oil companies has been involved in defrauding the nation's wealth through Inflating NAPIMS JV Cash Call Budgets.

Credible and independent industry sources who have spoken to Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC), alleged the following acts of corruption and fraudulent practices against Bala Wunti and his stewardship in NAPIMS:

1. Affiliations and Profit Sharing with certain oil servicing companies and multinational oil companies with the collaboration of certain individuals in these companies namely Eroton, Aiteo, Belema oil etc.

2. Bullying and frustrating contractors and operators (mainly the indigenous oil companies who have refused to partake in his fraudulent schemes) and frustrating oil development operations due to his greed and promotion of personal interest.

3. Total disregard for rules and due process in contracting processes.

4. Falsifying documents to conceal bribe payments and fraudulently mischaracterizing these bribes as normal business expenses.

5. Overbilling with an understanding that some of the payments are bribes; and Inappropriate hiring practices, such as issuing contracts or hiring candidates solely based on referrals by his cronies and business associates. Amidst the various indecent and corrupt practices being perpetuated by the GGM NAPIMS, Mr. Bala Wunti and his cohorts in the operating oil companies, is the continual decrease in Nigeria's oil production which could be partly linked to his greed and style of management.

We understand that some certain personalities in NNPC top management are well protected due to their ties to previous administrations, especially Bala Wunti who is being referred to as the "most powerful man currently in NNPC”. He is a man who commands his protection by providing funds got from his criminal acts to his protectors in the corridors of power. We urge Nigerians to come out with credible information on the activities of Bala Wunti and his cohorts in NNPC Limited and NAPIMS, as these acts are bleeding the nation dry. Such information should be forwarded to whistleblower@gmail.com. This will aid in the prosecution of all those involved in this gargantuan rip off of the nation.

Investigations by Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC), show that Bala Wunti and his cohorts in the operating companies are engaged in fraudulently inflating the yearly JV cash call budgets to cover their share/interest and once the funds are made available by the Federal Government & JV Partners, their shares are split accordingly. This is usually done with JV companies like Eroton, Aiteo, Belema oil etc. This is not just fraudulent but constitutes economic sabotage on the nation. A Forensic Audit will unearth the Augean stable of the financial reporting misconduct going on at NAPIMS. There has been reported cases of inflating the cost of the crude handling charge for every barrel of oil that is lifted out of our troubled oil producing regions. This is included in the JV budget. Investigation shows that a specific amount (about $4/bbl) is being added on the actual handling cost that is provided in the budget to cover Bala Wunti and his cohorts interest/share.

Again, their interest is farmed out once the funds are made available. JV companies involved in this are Eroton, AITEO, Belema oil, etc. A Forensic Audit will reveal that Bala Wunti is involved in profit sharing with some certain service providers with which he uses to inflate project rates.

Most worrisome is the bullying of indigenous oil companies and favoritism to a few oil companies in ensuring contracts are awarded to certain companies which we believe he has affiliations. Under his watch, NAPIMS has stopped collecting tenders as he operates with a list of favored companies manned by his fronts and cohorts who are given all the contracts in the oil industry.

It is an open secret that Wunti is notorious for frustrating oil development operations for personal gains and using his position as a top official to exclusively give contracts to companies he favors in flagrant violation of the procurement procedures.

A Major concern is the country’s participation in the Deepwater field development space, which is the major contributor to the nations oil production. Despite the rise in the crude oil price in the past months, with countries all over the world taking advantage of this opportunity by aggressively embarking on reserve growth and field developments to ensure they derive maximum benefit (economy, job creation, etc), this high prices currently present, Nigeria has only one (1) deep offshore rig currently carrying out drilling operations, which is the SNEPco Bonga OML 118 drilling operation. Despite this challenge in the nations oil development, Bala Wunti, due to his greed, personal interest and inherent fraudulent character, is willing to frustrate this Bonga field development to the detriment of the sufferings and yelling of the nation and Nigerians in general.

In an earlier petition by Concerned Citizens of Nigeria, revealed, “investigations show that on the 18th March 2022, SNEPco wrote requesting NAPIMS approval to exercise the two(2) years optional extension of the existing NNPC approved contract with OCEAN DEEP DRILING (ODNEL)/VALARIS by extending the contract duration for another two years for the provision of Deep Offshore Drilling Rig Services. The Valaris DS-10 DRILLSHIP is currently carrying out drilling operations in the Bonga field OML 118. This approval request will ensure an uninterrupted drilling activity in the field. Interestingly seven months after, NAPIMS GGM refused to approve the contract extension. From our investigation, follow up letters and phone calls to the NAPIMS GGM office failed to yield any result

On account of the fact that NAPIMS supervises all the Federal Government investments in the oil and gas sector it is not in the best interest of Nigeria to continue to turn a blind eye to the rot and gargantuan abuse of office being perpetuated by the GGM. Of particular interest and concern is the offshore drilling contract awarded to TIREX Petroleum and Energy by First E&P at a cost of 100,000 dollars per day.

The current regime of impunity at NAPIMS which is solely interested in massaging the interest of Bala Wunti and his array of favored companies and business fronts, short changes and imperils other local service providers within the oil sector, who are forced to be spectators. So long as BALA Wunti remains as the GGM of NAPIMS, not only will the reign of sleaze and impunity continue, but there will be little or no development and progress in the nations oil and gas sector.

It is imperative and a patriotic duty that the Senate Committee on Oil and Gas must invite First E&P to explain how they got the contract in the first place and to explain the relationship between it TIREX Petroleum and Energy and Bala Wunti.

The most favored in the list of companies is the company named TIREX Petroleum and Energy Limited. A lot of questions are being asked on what "is the affiliation between this company (which is under the cover of another company known as STILL EARTH) and the GGM of NAPIMS. Another company in Wunti’s portfolio of favored clients is First E & P which is registered with the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) as an offshore oil company.

A search of the CAC database reveal that Still Earth Holding Company has a number of companies with that name with a common roll of directors and share holders namely: Oluwafunmilayo Oyindamola Adeyemi, Patrick Olusegun Odegbami and Anthony Ogunlela amongst others. (See attached documents). The interesting thing is not only that Tirex Petroleum and Energy share the same directors but the same same official address.

TIREX Petroleum and Energy Limited was incorporated in year 2020 and coincidentally about the same time Bala Wunti was appointed the GGM of NAPIMS. A very interesting coincidence indeed. This set up seems to be for the sole purpose of diverting projects to TIREX. Bala Wunti’s dealings with TIREX was initially predominantly around Drilling projects, but the company recently added additional product codes on NIPEX portal to take advantage of Bala's influence in diverting other non-drilling related project to her.

A company that has never ever participated in any competitive tender since it was established but has been gracefully awarded several contracts that resulted from the forceful and bullying act of the GGM NAPIMS.

It should be noted that the former Managing Director, John Musa resigned to protect his integrity as the illegality of Bala Wunti and Tirex became unbearable for him.

Some of the information marshalled out here is not new as they have been drummed up by concerned stakeholders in the past. News sources have also drawn attention to these, which raise the question of why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the ICPC have not commenced an investigation. Or perhaps it is true as alleged that Bala Wunti who has amassed enormous wealth over his more than three decades in the nation’s oil and gas industry, truly “has the National Assembly and the Presidency in his pocket” as has been known to brag too often.

There is no doubt that the activities of Bala Wunti represent a clear and present danger to the survival of the Nigerian oil sector, if allowed to continue. This is an urgent call on the Senate to initiate a thorough investigation into the activities of Bala Wunti and his management of NAPIMS.

Signed
Nafiu Ibrahim
Ella Susan
Obi Nwakanma

C.C
The President, Nigerian Senate
The Speaker, House of Representatives

Prince Chibudom Nwuche sues Refinitiv Limited for inaccurate, incomplete and misleading information about him on World Check Database: demands Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages





Prince Chibudom Nwuche, a lawyer and former Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, has sued a multinational corporation, Refinitiv Limited (1st Defendant), and two others and is seeking the sum of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages.





Refinitiv, which is an American-British company and a global provider of financial market data and infrastructure, has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom. The Company maintains a due diligence database known as World-Check Risk Intelligence Database. The database, amongst others, provides information about politically exposed persons as well as their family members and close associates, to interested financial institutions, companies and individuals around the world.





In the action filed at the High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt, Prince Chibudom Nwuche (the Claimant) asserted that Refinitiv i) owes him a duty of care to ensure that the information about him in its due diligence database is complete, accurate and not misleading, ii) breached the duty of care owed to him and has been grossly negligent in the way and manner it collated the information about him on its database; iii) World Check database contains incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading information about him; iv) failed or neglected to take necessary steps to ensure the accuracy and veracity of the newspaper reports it relied on before adding his name to one its uncomplimentary and negative category; and v) has continued to maintain the incomplete, inaccurate and misleading information about him in his data even after its attention has been drawn to this via letters supported by cogent and verifiable documentary evidence.





The Claimant therefore contends that he has suffered economic losses and reputational damage as a result of Refinitiv’s action. According to the Claimant, his bank accounts were closed by First Bank UK Limited (2nd Defendant) and TD Canada Trust (3rd Defendant) after relying on the information on Refinitiv’s database. Even more worrisome to the Claimant is the fact that his family members are now being affected by the acts of Refinitiv. Specifically, his daughter was denied opening an account with USB Bank, Switzerland owing to her categorization by the bank as a politically exposed person (PEP) on the basis that her father was a PEP.





The Claimant is now contending in his action that he is no longer a PEP having left public office over 20 years ago and that his continued classification as a PEP by Refinitiv is unjustifiable and wrong. The Claimant also contends that he does not deserve the reputational damage and economic losses being caused by the Refinitiv’s World Check due diligence database as he is an honest and hard-working Nigerian who can account for every penny and asset he owns.





Essentially, he was already a very successful business man even before ever vying for elective office and founded several companies that were active in the downstream Petroleum sector, trading refined products in Africa, and offering engineering and construction services to the major oil and gas companies including Shell, Agip, Mobil etc. The companies he founded also partnered with several international multinational companies that were industry leaders in the oil and gas sectors and won many large seismic contracts with Shell, Agip, etc. People active in the private sector between 1991 – 1999 can verify this fact. He has always maintained that he ran for elective office solely as a service to his people and not for any other purpose.





Accordingly, he confirmed in the action that even during his tenure as the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee of the Whole between 1999 – 2003, he was neither found wanting nor accused by anyone of involvement in any corrupt practice in spite of his involvement in the passage of important pieces of legislation and several budgets running in to trillions of Naira in Nigeria. The matter is yet to be fixed for hearing.

KELGA PATRIOTIC FORUM

Re- Ogoni Development Drive Warning To the Ikwerre L G A Chairman,
Honourable Samuel Nwanosike.

Press Release:

Our attention has been drawn to an infantile press release, published in Today's Top News of Wednesday January 17,2024, warning our amiable, hardworking and indefatigable political Leader of ikwerre Local Government Area.

Ordinarily, we the ikwerre patriotic forum wouldn't have bothered to respond or react to such unfounded, hollow and unintelligent Press release, emanating from such an unpopular and faceless group called the Ogoni Development Drive whose stock in trade, under sponsorship by politicians in the state, is to malign respected politicians who have clean and outstanding political records, just to score or gain cheap recognition and relevance.

In as much as we are committed to ensuring peace and stability in the state, we are not unaware of the antics of some disreputable politicians in the state, who pay some self acclaimed and misguided youth leaders in the state and self seeking groups to rubbish the reputation of the Hon. Minister of the FCT , His Excellency Chief Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

As supporters of the minister, we Will not relent to defend at all times the integrity of chief Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

As a group drawn from the 13 wards of ikwerre local government area, we wish to sound it crystal clear and warn any person or group Who by any reason insults , malign our leader and chairman of ikwerre local government area, Hon. Chief Dr. Samuel Nwanosike.

The Ikwerre patriotic forum had ignored in the past, some abusive and insulting words used on Him. Samuel Nwanosike by some unscrupulous political sycophants in the state whose trademark is to discredit and criticize those whose names has been written in gold.

Hon. Samuel Nwanosike does not need to make noise, criticize or join issues with anybody to make a name.


We, therefore warn for the last time anybody who wants to trade with the precious name of Hon. Samuel Nwanosike to desist forthwith as the group will not tolerate or condone further aspersions, capable of tarnishing the hard earned reputation of Hon. Samuel Nwanosike.

Enough is Enough.

Signed

Wariso Wariso,
Coordinator
Ikwerre Patriotic Forum

Be Wary of Dubious Elders, Group Urges Gov. Sim Fubara


A group the Rivers First Movement (RFM) has urged the Rivers State governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara to be wary what it termed “dubious elders”, who it alleged has been parading themselves as the official spokespersons and has been operating under the false acronym of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, a claim that is dubious, dishonorable, and deceitful and an outright falsehood.

The group in statement jointly signed by Onengiye Brown, Bekwele Amadinna and Owuzeshi Amachree noted that, “these so called elders in an embarrassing display of ignorance questioned the intentions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in wading into the political crisis in Rivers state. One wonders where they got the locus to impugn the good intentions of the president who took an oath to maintain peace and security in the entire country. We wonder how the noble intentions of Mr. President offended their warped sensibilities”.



According to a statement released in Port Harcourt, the group stated;



"We have watched the absurd claims and ugly vituperations of a group of meddlesome interlopers, who in a disservice to our dear Rivers state has been parading themselves as elders of Rivers state. This group that is made up of some former governors, senators and academics, has been parading themselves as the official spokespersons and has been operating under the false acronym of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, a claim that is dubious, dishonorable, and deceitful and an outright falsehood.



In an advertorial published in the Vanguard Newspaper of Friday, December 29th, 2023, these so called elders in an embarrassing display of ignorance questioned the intentions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in wading into the political crisis in Rivers state. One wonders where they got the locus to impugn the good intentions of the president who took an oath to maintain peace and security in the entire country. We wonder how the noble intentions of Mr. President offended their warped sensibilities.





If they had called themselves concerned elders, it will be understandable and they should know better, than to embark on this disreputable and disruptive exercise geared towards cheap hustle and reaping where they did not sow. It is sad to note that these so called elders played no part during the struggle to get Siminilaye Fubara elected as the governor of Rivers state. They neither campaigned nor voted for him and some of them are on record to have worked for other political parties opposed to the aspiration of Gov. Fubara and the PDP and their children contested under parties opposed to PDP and lost.







Gov. Fubara knows the people that played a part in his victory, those who endorsed him and worked tirelessly to ensure that no stone was left unturned to deliver him to victory. It is globally accepted that politics goes with patronage. It is morally wrong to seek to destroy the political ladder that propelled one to victory, based on the dubious advice of emergency cheerleaders, who are nothing more than conflict entrepreneurs, seeking to reap where they did not sow.







We would not have taken any exception in the false and misguided claims, if they had restricted themselves to being concerned elders, as there is a well-recognized body known as The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum. While not joining issues with these purveyors of falsehood, we urge the likes of former governor Rufus Ada George, Senators Ben Birabi and Andrew Uchendu to live up to the expectations, which the high offices they once occupied, imposes on them, to be truthful arbiters and promoters of peace and justice. These elders should search their consciences and asked themselves if they worked for the emergence of Gov. Sim Fubara.







Given the trauma Rivers state and it's citizens have been plunged into since the onset of this needless crisis and the commitment of Gov. Fubara to abide by the resolutions of the meeting brokered by President Tinubu, it is obvious that the so called elders are shone of emotional intelligence and do not want peace to prevail by their unholy questioning of the resolve to bury all hatchet through the return of the commissioners who resigned on principle based on their abhorrence to chaos and anarchy as exemplified by the intemperate demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly.







It amounts to crying more than the bereaved when Gov. Fubara has accepted that the Assembly should choose a venue for their sitting through his proclamation that no price is too much to pay for peace. It is tragic that these elders choose to flog a dead horse with their insistence that the 27 lawmakers cannot sit with the four lawmakers led by Edison Ehie. If one may ask, when did these elders usurp the statutory functions of INEC, by insisting that the seat of the Assembly members have been declared vacant? Obviously, these jokers are enemies of democracy.







It is also pertinent to add here that the commissioners that resigned and the Assembly members, contributed to the victory of PDP and Gov. Fubara in their various polling units and wards thorough rigorous campaigns and mobilization of funds and their supporters. It is therefore mind-boggling that these outsiders and usurpers are rising up to challenge their status as stakeholders in the Gov. Fubara led government.







We commend the dignified silence of the authentic elders of Rivers state and their tireless efforts to ensure the restoration of peace and normalcy. We are embarrassed by the macabre dance of chicanery by these perennial political hustlers, some of who spent years in political office without attracting any meaningful development to their people and to Rivers state. We are shocked and shamed by the dubious motives and questionable intensions of these elders which are manifested in their disputations of the outcomes of a peace parley, convened by the President, which has finally rested the political crisis in the state.







We urge Rivers youths who have been drafted into the fray through endless protests, in a bid to destabilize the state, to be mindful of their actions, which is undermining the peace, security and stability of the state.







We call on the Rivers State governor, His Excellency Siminialye Fubura, to be wary of dubious elders and conflict entrepreneurs, whose only motive is to perpetuate the crisis, while deepening their pockets.







Finally, we commend the president and commander in chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his timely intervention, which has restored peace and stability to Rivers state. It is a demonstration of his love for Rivers people”.

Nwuche Mourns Former Speaker Ghali Na’Abba.

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche has expressed shock over the death of Former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba with whom he worked closely between 1999 to 2003 and with whom he has been working closely with ever since and condoled with the family, wife and children and the people of Kano Municipal Federal Constituency over the huge loss.

Nwuche who described the death of Ghali as a great loss to the nation and the Democratic family, noted that Ghali was an erudite speaker who led a vibrant house with many outstanding achievements including passing into law of several important legislations such as Cabotage Act, NSCDC Act, EFCC Act, ICPC Act, the NDDC Act amongst other bills.

He emphasized that Ghali stood for a prosperous and developed Nigeria based on the rule of law, through separation of powers of the various arms of government. He was a detribalized and patriotic Nigerian who treated all Nigerians equally and fairly irrespective of tribe and religion.

He will be missed by all lovers of democracy in the country, as despite leaving political office over two decades ago, he continued to intervene regularly on national issues by providing guidance.

He longed to see a prosperous and developed Nigeria based on equity and fairness to the various segments of our country.

May his great soul rest in perfect peace.

Ndigbo and Nightmare of coming home for Christmas, As Deteriorating infrastructure and Uncountable checkpoints Makes Life a Helish Experience



AS Ndigbo and other residents of South East region prepare to return home for Christmas and New Year celebrations, they are sure to face nightmare of passing through uncountable checkpoints, which actually are extortion points by security operatives. No route to the region is free of excessive extortion checkpoints.


Put together, from Lagos to Onitsha, Abuja to Enugu and the numerous ones dotting the roads in the region, no less than 4000 checkpoints constitute embarrassing barriers the people are subjected to. At each checkpoint, motorists are openly extorted amounts ranging between N200 to N1000. This cuts across checkpoints manned by military and police.


Most embarrassing is that in some of these checkpoints, passengers are forced to disembark from their vehicles to walk across before boarding their vehicles again. Painfully, this is done irrespective of the weather or the health condition of the occupants in such vehicles.


While brazenly engaging in the extortion spree, motorists and their passengers are also inhumanly treated like a conquered people. Annoyingly, in some cases the security operatives are not interested in carrying out routine security checks but to just extort and humiliate the commuters. They behave and act as if they are for different mission in the region other than to provide security to the people. Surprisingly, despite all the hues and cries from the people about this ugly trend in the South East, the military and police high command are yet to take any visible serious actions to stop it.


While Condemning the high rate of extortion of motorists on the South East roads, particularly by police and soldiers, the Coordinator of the Eastern Development Initiative ( EDI), Comrade Ugochukwu Nwaosueke urged the police and military high commands to take drastic measures against their men involved in the evil act. He insisted that the leadership of the security agencies must do more than giving out orders and threats which are hardly taken serious.


“We wish to call the attention of the leadership of these security agencies to take more than a passing interest in the evil activities of their men and officers against Nigerians. It is unfortunate that the issue of extortion on our roads continues to multiply, with perpetrators unashamedly going about their ugly activities in the full glare of the public, including innocent children.



From Aba to Umuahia, Enugu to Nsukka, Okigwe to Owerri, Owerri to Port Harcourt, from Port Harcourt to Aba, Umuikaa Junction to Owerri, Aba to Ikot-Ekpene and across several major roads in the South East, huge man hours are lost daily on account of multiple checkpoints where motorists are intimidated and extorted. As we approach the yuletide, more checkpoints with gun-wielding officials are daily taking over the highways in the South East. It is now an open bazaar on South East roads.


They are openly extorting from motorists, even giving change for those who so demand.“Seeing all of these, we are forced to ask; at what point did Nigerian roads become commercial banks and security and law enforcement agents’ cashiers? The IGP and the CPs, the military high command must do more than just barking out threats and orders against their men on the highways”, Nwaosueke lamented.


Comrade Nwaosueke charged the governors of South East to rise up and say enough is enough. He said the humiliation has lasted because the South East governors have allowed it.


He stated: “The EDI strongly condemns such humiliation and torture of the residents of South East. It is happening because the governors gave their consent to it. I have always insisted that the security chiefs in the South East must have mentioned it to the governors during security meetings and the governors approved of that.


“The governors should rise and stop it. The people of South East should not be treated with such disdain.”Yes, there had been cases of criminals attacking security agents at checkpoints, but this shouldn’t warrant such measure. It is capable of generating hatred in the minds of residents, thereby making them not to volunteer necessary intelligence needed to ensure effective security of the zone”.


Based in n careful analysis, it is now clear that the checkpoints across South East region are officially set for extortion, intimidation, humiliation against Ndigbo”.


Available intelligence has revealed that the checkpoints are very often used for evils, in some cases kidnappings.


“Nigeria’s checkpoints in the South East are official organized extortion, humiliation, intimidation of Ndigbo. Huge sums of money is extorted from the Igbo at gunpoint at checkpoints, including those by another terrible group called Road Safety Corps, the topmost nemesis of travelers, whose own assignment is how to make bad things worse.


“Igbo youths with laptops, attractive handsets, reverse caps, sagging trousers, backpacks, especially those in flashy cars are instantly arrested for being “Yahoo boys” and, once taken or dragged behind a nearby building, they are never seen again by their families. The intimidation must stop”, Nwaosueke said.


Concluding, he wished the entire Ndigbo, a successful yuletide celebration and a prosperous New Year.

Protests Against Wike Sponsored by Enemies of Nigeria.
...Southern Group replies Northern protesters.
...Says Wike Will remian FCT Minister.

A group in southern Nigeria, the Niger Delta Situation Room has condemned orchestrated protests against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyeso Wike, describing it as being sponsored by enemies of Nigeria.

The group in a swift reaction to the protests at the National Assembly on Wednesday 6th December, calling for the resignation of the FCT Minister, described the organizers of the protests as political jobbers and members of the criminal cartel that held the FCT and the FCDA in a vice grip, engaging in both land racketeering and embezzlement of funds running into billions of naira from the FCT.


The group in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Senibo Isaac Green, disclosed that person's from a particular section of the country has been having sleepless nights ever since the FCT Minister, upon his appointment, rolled up his sleeves and went to work committed to clean up the auguean stable of sleeze and corruption which the FCT had been turned into.


The Niger Delta Situation Room noted that the protesters and their sponsors panicked by Wike's famed no nonsense attitude and dedication to work, has resorted to all manner of campaigns of blackmail and calumny to distract Wike.


"Earlier we had seen a resort to wiping up religious and ethnic sentiments against the Minister and the spreading of unfounded lies and baseless propaganda, all in a bid to cast the FCT Minister in a bad light".


The group refuted claims the Abuja hired protesters that the indigenous people of the FCT were unhapoy with the land reforms instituted by Wike, to recover lands recklessly stolen from both the indigenes and the government, describing it as a bare faced lie born out of wishful thinking and promoted by fears that the years of misdeed by the cabal of land racketeerers, will be exposed by Wike.


The group wondered why the security agencies has chosen to turn a blind eye to the neferous activities of these agents doom and darkness and their sponsors, who are vehement in pushing the country into the abyss of chaos and anarchy.


The Niger Delta Situation Room disclosed that it may be forced to march into Abuja if the unwarranted and ethnic inspired campaign to impugn and bring Wike down is not checked.


"We wish to sound it loud and clear that Wike is not going anywhere. He will remian in his office and discharg the duties and responsibilities assigned to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Wike has continued to demonstrate competence and an iron will to discharge his duties. Those who believe that Nigeria belongs to them should leave him alone to work", the group concluded.

Award to Magu is an insult to Nigerians.
By Hassan Ramewa

It has often been said that when a lie is often repeated,it starts competiting with the truth. This is why a recent attempt by a little known NGO, Foreign Investment Network, to sweep under the carpet, through a nebuluos award, the henious crimes committed by the disgraced former chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, needs to be repudiated as it represents an insult to Nigerians.


The idea that any group of Nigerians could recognize Ibrahim Magu, for any kind of award is simply mind boggling. That Ibrahim Magu can also in good conscience recieve such an award of honour, signposts the depth of moral degerency, he has sunk to.

Perhaps it may be necessary to revisit Ibrahim Magu's saga as the anti corruption Czar of Nigeria and how he subverted that position to the ruin of Nigeria.


It will be recalled that The Presidential Panel that probed former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, revealed that 14 fraud cases involving N118 billion and $309 million were abandoned by the anti-graft commission under his watch.

In July 2020, as acting chairman of the EFCC, Magu was arrested, detained, and suspended. He was brought before the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel on allegations of gross misconduct.

The panel headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the court of appeal, was set up to probe the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020, when Magu was in charge of the agency.

He was further accused of suppressing high-profile cases involving four ex-governors, one of whom became a senator.


According to media reports, the final report was submitted to President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in November 2020. The EFCC, under Magu’s watch, was also accused of not remitting a N48 billion loot recovered in foreign and local currencies.

The former EFCC boss was alleged to have mishandled the recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates.

The report reviewed written and oral testimonies of over 100 witnesses, having overtaken nationwide physical verification of recovered forfeited assets, including real estate, automobiles, vessels, and other non-cash and cash assets.


The review of the report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets showed that the anti-graft commission gave contradictory figures on the total number of recovered real estate.

“The EFCC under the watch of the suspended Ag. Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in its submission to PCARA reported N46,038,882,509.87 as being the foreign currency equivalent recovered by the commission between May 29, 2015, and November 22, 2018,” the report stated.

It added, “The EFCC, under Magu, however, only produced evidence of lodgements of thirty-seven billion, five hundred and thirty-three million, seven hundred and sixty-four thousand, one hundred and ninety-five naira, sixty-six kobo, leaving a shortfall of eight billion, five hundred and five million, one hundred and eighteen thousand, three hundred and fourteen naira, twenty-one kobo.

“The EFCC reported to PCARA a total naira recovery of five and four billion, one hundred and fifty-four million, one hundred and eighty-four thousand, seven hundred and forty-four naira, four kobo, the actual bank lodgement of the naira recoveries was, however, five hundred and forty-three billion, five hundred and eleven million, seven hundred and ninety-two thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three naira, forty-seven kobo.

“That EFCC failed to produce before PCARA the evidence/record of the difference of thirty-nine billion, three hundred and fifty-seven million, six hundred and eight thousand, one hundred and nineteen naira, forty-three kobo.

“The EFCC, in its returns on non-cash assets, made to the president on April 7, 2017, declared 836 as the total number of recovered real estates, while in its first and second returns to PCARA, it rendered contradictory figures of 339 on 13/12/2017, leaving a difference of 497 and 504 on 9/3/2018, with a difference of 332.”

In addition, the panel alleged that Magu abandoned multi-million dollar fraud cases involving high-profile individuals and transferred some officials of the commission investigating the cases.

Magu was also accused of disobeying court orders and presidential directives.

“Between 2016 and 2019, fourteen (14) procurement fraud cases involving N117,972,209,035 and $309,151,419 were abandoned under Mr Ibrahim Magu’s watch,” the judicial commission said.

It added, “The commission observed from its findings that prosecutorial decisions by Ibrahim Magu on case files were based on his personal whims, as against the law and facts. The commission also notes the prevalence of widespread corruption, abuse of power and pervasive impunity in the running of the EFCC.”

The panel also said records of forfeited assets were poorly kept by the commission.

Under Magu’s watch, the panel stated, eight plazas were seized by EFCC but the commission reported no forfeiture of the plazas.

In addition, three jets were listed in interim forfeiture, but the panel could not trace them; 21 hotels were reported to have been forfeited on an interim order, but only eight were found; 42 fuel stations were reported to have been forfeited on an interim order, only eight could be verified.

According to the report, the vessels seized by the commission were neglected, and they sank into the sea with a substantial quantity of petroleum products.

It further revealed, “In 2016, Magu halted the process of disposing of two finally forfeited vessels, MT Good Success with 1,459 metric tons of PMS; and MT Askaris with 3,423,097 metric tons of crude…the cargoes eventually sank…Magu also asked the navy to release two vessels conveying illegally refined AGO to their owners,” the panel said.

“Thirteen vessels that were handed over to the EFCC by the Nigerian Navy, out of a total number of 154 vessels, sank with it's contents due to negilgence on the part if the EFCC.

“The submissions made by the EFCC before the commission shows that, from inception to date, the total number of non-cash assets recovered under final forfeiture was 3133. The analysis of the recoveries shows that some of the assets were disposed of, forfeited to a third party or negligently lost. The commission conducted physical verification of recovered assets across the country from 1st-27th October 2020. The outcome of the exercise was revealing as some of the forfeited assets have been lost, deteriorated, physically possessed by the suspects, or could not be traced and in some instances remain in occupation years after their final forfeiture.

“The EFCC reported disposal of 275 real estates, but the judicial commission only confirmed 76 disposals.”

Given the enormity of these mind boggling heist and criminality, which borders on economic sabotage, lack patriotism and petty stealing, it is tragic and big slap to Nigerians that instead of facing prosecution for his crimes, Ibrahim Magu, is strutting around, receiving awards and accolades.


At a time the country is grasping the plague of sundery crimes being committed by youngsters in the name get rich quick schemes like, cyber fraud, ritual murders etc, the award to Magu is not only a tacit endorsement of crime but a traumatic acknowledgement that crime pays.

Magu must be made to have his day in court and answer to the enormous charges against him. He needs to be in the dock as a reminder that crime is bad and not in the klieglights.

Wike as FCT Minister: A Blessing to Nigeria, By Karl Chinedu Uchegbu.



Reading Olu Fasan's lengthy diatribe against the Minister of the FCT, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, was both torturuos and frustrating, on account of his casual disregard for facts and logic. The write up also evoked deep sympathy for the author, who comes across as a tortured mind screaming for attention and help.

Schadenfreude can literarily be explained as a condition that affects someone who derives pleasures from the misfortune of another. Olu Fasan's illogical postulations was a clear manifestation of schadenfreude.

In his desperate attempt to drag the FCT Minister in the mud, he ended up muddling his thought processes by dragging the supplementary budget and casting aspersions on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over issues that has been already clarified, justaposing it with issues that are internal to the smooth running of the FCT and the political misunderstanding in Rivers State.

Wallowing in self induced manic depression, Olu Fasan choose to forget that spending on state house clinic, feeding in the villa etc are recurrent expenditure that is a feature of every administration since 1999 and even under the military. Bouyed by selective amnesia, Olu Fasan cannot remember that President Buhari spent huge sums on the same budget items while in Aso Rock. Of course it will be too much thinking for Olu Fasan and his co-travellers to remember that since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over from Buhari, the serial killing of Nigerians by Fulani herdsman, who were aided by those in government has stopped. Will they remember that President Tinubu, has been travelling abroad selling Nigeria in an untiring effort to attract investment and reluanch the national economy on the path of growth.


Questioning the rationale for the appointment of Chief Barr. Wike as the Minister of the FCT is a clear demonstration of schizophrenia, a condition that afflicts the victim with inability to interprete reality normally.

At it's inception Abuja was mainly a civil servant city and a few rich people. I Over the years Abuja has evolved into a megacity and with this evolution, came the bastardisation of the Abuja masterplan. Abuja lost its orderliness. The covers of virtually all the underground drains were stolen. Street lights were not working well in some areas. There was filth in some parts of Abuja; in Maitama, around the Federal Secretariat, the road leading to the National Assembly, Jabi and other highbrow areas.

This is the FCT Wike met. The mandate President Bola Tinubu gave to him is not different from the mandate Obasanjo gave to El-Rufai. So the opposition and uproar is understandable. El-Rufai experienced the same opposition and blackmail. It is therefore not unexpected that Wike will face the same flack because he is trying to bring sanity, orderliness and more developments to Abuja.

The appointment of ministers, especially that of the FCT is the prerogative of the president. Wike can only be judged based on his performance in office as FCT Minister. He did well in Rivers State and he will be do better in Abuja. His mandate, is to make Abuja the most beautiful city in Africa and one of the best in the world. There is no action Wike has taken so far in the FCT that raises suspicion or violates the Constitution.

Hitherto, the indigenous people of the FCT were relegated to the background. But he is giving them attention. He has given vehicles to traditional rulers within FCT and promised indigenous communities within the FCT quota in employment into FCT agencies. He has secured approval for establishment of FCT Civil Service Commission. This will make FCT civil servants to rise to the pinnacle of their careers. He is about to commence construction of roads in satellite towns within the FCT. He is campaigning for better welfare for judicial officers in the FCT. He has many other good plans for the FCT.

Of course those whose plots of land were revoked and those whose properties were demolished have every reason to feel bad. It is natural, but Wike has not been subjective. Even plots of land belonging to government agencies were revoked. Customs officials went to see him and he told them that those who want their land back should repurchase them at current value and pay all necessary fees. Wike’s traducers have not told us their real grouse. Maybe, they are used to indolence, inertia and ineptitude. That is not Wike. You might accuse Wike of being brash, but he is well educated, experienced in governance and a goal getter.


Wike and President Tinubu enjoy a personal relationship that is underpinned by mutual respect and admiration for competence, intellect, hard work and dedication to serving the people.


The foci of the grouse of Olu Fasan and his co-travellers can be located in the last paragraphs of his write up. It is obvious that some people whose political sojourn has come to a screeching halt, are afraid that Wike's esposure as the FCT Minister and given his legendary devotion to performance, will eclipse their wanning stars, which has burnt out. This jaundiced perception of reality is what is fueling the array of contrived attacks by hastily recruited political sicarios and headunters.


Being a renowned purveyor of falsehood, Olu Fasan, in his rush to dance to the drums of his master's, forgot that opinions may be free, but facts are sacred. By what strange clairvoyance did he come up with the puerile allegations he leveled against Wike? Can he offer proof that Wike asked for 20 billion monthly from Fubara? How did he come up with the wild claim that Wike wants to destroy PDP, a party he helped built?

It needs to be restated here that Wike is a politician who does not beat about the bush. He says things the way he sees it, which is a clear departure from other politicians. Who does not know, that relevance is central to politics? Who does not know that the political structure is the foremost leadership recruitment and interest aggregation mechanism in politics? Wike can never be found among those who like the ostritch, bury it's head in the sand, while pretending that it's rump is not protruding. He says it the way it is, and his people love him for it. Those who want to continue to live in lies and deciet should continue to wallow in their polically induced Bipolar Disorder.



Karl Chinedu, a journalist and rights activist, wrote from Port Harcourt.

CENTURY ENERGY DEBT CRISIS: CREDITORS BRING PETITION TO WIND-UP CENTURY ENERGY SERVICES LIMITED FOR FAILURE TO PAY DEBTS

Following Century Energy’s failure and neglect to pay the debts owed to its creditors without reason and despite several efforts by creditors demanding payment of debts that have remained unpaid for over a year, the creditors now seem to have no other choice than to take out winding-up proceedings against the major oil and gas service provider.

One of such creditors, Ambrey Limited, has now taken out a suit against Century Energy before the Federal High Court in SUIT NO.: FHC/L/CP/1889/23 (a suit between Ambrey Limited v. Century Energy Service Limited). These debts were said to have accumulated as a result of outstanding sums due to the creditors for the provision of security escort services rendered to Century Energy’s chartered vessels and remain unpaid till date. Ambrey Nigeria provided security escort services to the vessel Boka Pegasus which Century chartered to attend to the FPSO Sandje Berge in the summer of 2022. Ambrey Nigeria provided excellent security services during this period and even intervened when problems occurred at Onne Port whereby a representative of Century was held against his will at the port due to unpaid promises made to local inhabitants of the area..

Meanwhile, Century Energy has been busy and quite recently has been reported to have acquired the Sendje Berge – a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel – for about $ 15 million. It seems to be the case that pursuing this acquisition has significantly impacted the ability of Century Energy to meet its debt obligations to its creditors.

These are not the best of times for a company that has just spent millions of US dollars on the Sendje Berge vessel acquisition.

Joint Press Statement of the Conscience of the Niger Delta (CND) and the Center for Energy Policy Research and Development (CEPRD).



Niger Delta Grouos Demand for the Sack of Dr Aliyu Bello Gusau, Executive Secretary PTDF Over Incompetence, Nepotism and Ethnic Bigotry.



We the members of the Conscience of the Niger Delta and the Center for Energy Policy Research and Development (CEPRD) demands the immediate sack of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF), Dr Aliyu Belo Gusau over his overt acts of Nepotism and ethnic bigotry exhibit against the people of the Niger Delta.

In an earlier petition petition to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and signed by the convener of the group Comrade EJoint Press Statement of the Conscience of the Niger Delta (CND) and the Center for Energy Policy Research and Development (CEPRD).bipade Jackson, Dr Aliyu was accused of having a one point agenda since he assumed office as the Executive Secretary of the body, which is bigotry and nepotism against the people of the Niger Delta in favour of Northern interests.

Dr Aliyu Gussu personally presides over contract and Scholarship awards by prioritizing and citing major projects and scholarships of the PTDF in the North with northern contractors while the Niger Delta gets meager projects. To worsen the situation, the group alleged that in contract execution, Dr Gusau prioritizes payment to contracts located in the north while projects in the Niger Delta are starved of funding, the reason why PTDF projects in the area are mostly incomplete and abandoned while those in the north are speedily completed.


It is condemnable that Dr Gusau, at the twilight of the Buhari administration hurriedly connived with some northern interests and got National Executive Council approval to cite the Petroleum Training Institute in Kaduna with no drop of oil, which is being speedily executed while projects like the Skills Acquisition Center awarded over 15 years ago in Port Harcourt is abandoned with contractors handling the projects being starved of funds even after completing mile stones.

It is indeed a great wonder to us why an unqualified man from Zamfara state with no drop of oil and who staff of the agency describe as a bully and impervious to advice, will head PTDF, while there are many qualified and competent persons from the Niger Delta where the hydrocarbon is situated who can handle such portfolio effectively and ensure fairness and equity.

Infirmation available to us indicate that the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund, Dr Bello Aliyu Gusau, has in the past been accused of awarding fraudulent contracts without recourse to procedure and due process. He has also been accused of nepotism, marginalisation and diversion of agency funds into private pockets.

Since the appointment of Gusau in 2016, it had been a regime of indiscriminate awards of contracts to persons that either did not bid for contracts that the PTDF did not advertise. Gusau has abused all known procurement regulations in the agency.

Dr Gusau has turned the PTDF to an extension of his state where only his kinsmen are seen clutching files and folders from the procurement department. There are also instances where the Dr. Gusau's kinsmen recommend who gets what from the PTDF. It is such an eyesore as it stands. If urgent steps are not taken, the PTDF might end up in a not too pleasant manner considering the strategic importance of its operations in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary has formed the habit of bragging about his untouchable status. He usually brags about his connection in the corridors of power and how he also has unhindered access to the President. It is quite sad because Dr. Gusau has turned tyrant in the administration of the PTDF.

We have it on record that the Executive Secretary has been using resources from the PTDF to finance political activities in his home state. Dr. Gusau has turned to a political cash-cow for politicians from his state. From all indications, it seems the Dr Gusau has political ambition. This is largely responsible for how he has turned the PTDF into an extension of his state. He has also formed the habit of awarding scholarships to select people, mostly from his state.

With the way things are going at the PTDF, Nigeria might soon experience an embarrassment from foreign institutions where Nigerian students are on scholarship due to non-payment of tuition for

We are on the verge of experiencing an embarrassment of unimaginable proportion. You won't believe that the PTDF has not met her obligations with foreign tertiary institutions where you have our students. The ES has diverted monies meant for tuition payment as it stands.

Since the Dr. Gusau was reappointed, the PTDF has defaulted severally on these payments, not because of lack of funds, but rather the mismanagement of resources by the Executive Secretary and his cronies. We are afraid that things are not going to change anytime soon with the attitude of the Executive Secretary with regards to the resources of the organization.

Recruitment into the agency had been contracted to a firm owned by some cronies of Dr. Gusau. The Executive Secretary has succeeded in rubbishing whatever structure left in the organisation. Dr Gusau, runs the PTDF as a private company where he decides who gets what and when.

It is most unfortunate that a man could be so brazen in recklessness. He does whatever he wants with the finances of the organisation. He dishes out overinflated contracts to only his kinsmen and many other anomalies that defeat common sense.

Dr Bello Gusau is a monumental embarrassment. The general public should not be deceived by his media grandstanding. We gathered that he has recently engaged the services of a public relations firm to launder his image in the media, all in a bid to cover up for his gross abuse office.

We demand that Dr. Gusau should be sacked from office because his atrocities are innumerable, as well as despicable.


We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a man who loves equity and fairness to immediately sack Dr Aliyu Belo Gussu for being incompetent and promoting ethnicity as he has no business heading the PTDF.

We equally make bold to state here that we will not hesitate to mobilize a one million man march, including shutting down oil facilities in the region until Justice is done.


Signed
Ebipade Jackson
Converner, Conscience of the Niger Delta

Prince Joshua Ovoh.
Coordinator, Center for Energy Policy Research and Development.

AMBREY INTERNATIONAL VESSELS COME UNDER ARREST OVER MOUNTING DEBTS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Following huge amount of unpaid debts running into several millions of dollars by Maritime Security giant Ambrey International to local providers and partners in Nigeria, the issue seem to have taken a turn for the worst and culminated in the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels on the orders of a Federal High Court in Nigeria.Ambrey International whose headquarters is in Hereford England is headed by Chris Charnley.

Ambrey have been in a running battle for the past one year with Local operators who provide services to Ambrey ranging from supply of security vessel, bunkers, embarked operations etc who complained of non payment by Ambrey for services provided to Ambrey International clients such Frontline, MSC, COSCO, Maersk etc for which these clients have fully paid Ambrey and Ambrey has deliberately refused to pay the local providers with one provider alone being owed over Five Million dollars.

After several attempts to recover the debts, the matter seems to have escalated with the providers approaching a court for redress which has eventually issued an order for the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels,and for the utilizationof the vessels to recover their debts. Ambrey International providers in other parts of West Africa like Republic of Cameroun also suffer same fate,as they are owed huge amounts in dollars for services rendered to Ambrey and not paid for after Ambrey has received payments from International clients. This method seems to have become the hallmark of Ambrey International which has pitched local suppliers against it.

Ambrey woes appeared to have began in the botched attempted sale of their business to Ocean Infinity.

Ambrey cognizant of the effect of the unpaid debts on their operations , has been making efforts to diversify provider base in Nigeria and deceive other providers who are not aware of their woes into accumulating huge debts in their operations. This providers by the terms of the court order will be in contempt of court and the law may go after them for aiding and abetting a crime.

AMBREY INTERNATIONAL VESSELS COME UNDER ARREST OVER MOUNTING DEBTS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Following huge amount of unpaid debts running into several millions of dollars by Maritime Security giant Ambrey International to local providers and partners in Nigeria, the issue seem to have taken a turn for the worst and culminated in the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels on the orders of a Federal High Court in Nigeria.Ambrey International whose headquarters is in Hereford England is headed by Chris Charnley.

Ambrey have been in a running battle for the past one year with Local operators who provide services to Ambrey ranging from supply of security vessel, bunkers, embarked operations etc who complained of non payment by Ambrey for services provided to Ambrey International clients such Frontline, MSC, COSCO, Maersk etc for which these clients have fully paid Ambrey and Ambrey has deliberately refused to pay the local providers with one provider alone being owed over Five Million dollars.

After several attempts to recover the debts, the matter seems to have escalated with the providers approaching a court for redress which has eventually issued an order for the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels,and for the utilizationof the vessels to recover their debts. Ambrey International providers in other parts of West Africa like Republic of Cameroun also suffer same fate,as they are owed huge amounts in dollars for services rendered to Ambrey and not paid for after Ambrey has received payments from International clients. This method seems to have become the hallmark of Ambrey International which has pitched local suppliers against it.

Ambrey woes appeared to have began in the botched attempted sale of their business to Ocean Infinity.

Ambrey cognizant of the effect of the unpaid debts on their operations , has been making efforts to diversify provider base in Nigeria and deceive other providers who are not aware of their woes into accumulating huge debts in their operations. This providers by the terms of the court order will be in contempt of court and the law may go after them for aiding and abetting a crime.

Niger Delta Solidarity Movement (NDSM)
22 Ibeto Road, Old Port Harcourt Town,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State.


Media Attacks on Wike: Chidi Amuta, Tunde Olusunle Are Sponsored Media Hatchet Men of Rotimi Amaechi.


Nigerian award winning writer and wordsmith, Chinua Achebe in one of his seminal works, admonished us not to be carried away, each time we see, Nwanza the proverbial bird, strutting and dancing, because on a closer look, we will definitely see the drummer, who is ultimately responsible for the intemperate dance steps of the little bird.



This is the appropriate prism that should be applied to any Interrogation of the infantile drivel authored by Tunde Olusunle, in a failed attempt to drag the amiable and eminent ex-governor of Rivers State, Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, CFR, GSSRS, into the cesspool of adversarial and toxic politics, that he and his masters wallow in.





Aside from the name dropping by Tunde Olusunle, in a vainglorious attempt to boost his pedigree as a journalist, all he succeeded in achieving was to let slip, the mortal dread and aversion that he shares with his co-travelers, on the persona of Chief Barr. Wike. The writer who claims to be a renowned poet, without a single literary work or award top his name, choose to dance naked in an orgy of half- truths and hate inspired innuendoes. Tunde Olasunle and his coterie of Wikephobes, dazed by the stellar performance of Wike in the national political space, wallow and revel in self- pity and uncoordinated war of attrition.



Of course there is no need to rehash or reply to the cacophony of mistruths, disinformation and panegyrics concocted by Amuta and Olusunle in their desperate effort to pull Wike down and cause disaffection between the generalissimo and his peers and associates. Thisis here stock in trade.



In the case of Olusunle, inspite of his efforts to cloak his jaundiced narrative with the toga of intellectualism, he still came out as a hack writer, whose only motivation is to pour venom on any person that disagrees with or catches the fancy of his master Rotimi Amaechi.



Tunde Olusunle's diatribe against Chief Barr. Wike only exposed the fact that he was merely playing his masters' voice. It is not a secret that Tunde Olusunle is hack writer in the employ of former Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. Yes, Amaechi and Olusunle go way back through Chidi Amuta and Yemi Ogunbiyi. This fact was acknowledged by Tunde Olusunle himself when he name dropped Yemi Ogunbiyi and Chidi Amuta as his comrades- in-infamy and merchants of falsehood, in the employ of the politically eclipsed former Minister of Transportation.



It is actually a mystery that out of all the newsworthy events that has been playing out, since May 29th, the only thing that catches the fancy of Tunde Olusunle, is Nyesom Wike. Why you may ask? Because he was ordered to do so by his patron and master, Rotimi Amaechi.



Tunde Olusunle and his co-travelers are agent provocateurs sponsored by Amaechi to denigrate Wike and poison the minds of well-meaning Nigerians, who admire Wike and understand his tremendous contributions in the Victory of President Bola Tinubu and the APC at the center. Can they swear that Amaechi didn’t sponsor their diatribe against Wike?



It is not a coincidence, that just as Chidi Amuta unleashed his censorious orgy, in an attempt to repudiate Wike’s acceptability, Tunde Olusunle’s lackluster echo will surface in The Comet, in an omnibus endorsement of a charade franchised and sponsored by Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. The crux of the whole media lynching orchestrated by Amaechi through his minions, Amuta and Olusunle, is the fear that Wike’s politics of inclusion and accommodation is propelling him to greater heights, while on the contrary their masters political career has sunk and hit crush depth like the Titanic.



The duo of Amuta and Olusunle are angry and afraid that they may have lost their meal ticket with Amaechi's loss to Tinubu in the APC Presidential primaries, and the now total annihilation of Rotimi Amaechi on the home front by Nyesom Wike, who has proved much more politically adept than the likes of Amaechi and his co travellers.



Wike's track record of success as governor of Rivers state and a political colossus in the just concluded presidential elections, continues to endear him to the heart of Nigerians, not just only Rivers people.





For Rivers people, who have gotten tired of seeing their former governors play second fiddle in the national political canvas, the ascension of Wike, as the undisputed political leader of Rivers people and the South-South indeed is a tonic that no attempt to misdirect the narrative will work.





Rivers people have tried Amaechi's toxic brand and all it got for our people was divisive politics, unending wrangling and not even a single project to show for his eight years of ministerial appointment. We have chosen a NEW paradigm and Wike is our champion.



Politics is a game of give and take. Rivers people bouyed on by Chief Barr. Wike gave their all to ensure the emergence of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and nothing will be too much to compensate our people for our efforts. Rivers people needs a leader that will not be carried away in Abuja, only returning occasionally to sow discord and chaos in the state. Wike will put the interest of Rivers state first above self-interest.


Signed
Tekena Donkemezuo
Coordinator

Ameka Ibezi Ukpeliede
Secretary

Nwuche Urges Massive Votes For PDP

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche has called on the People of Ochigba Community in Ahoada East local government Area of Rivers State to cast all their votes for the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Speaking when he addressed the people at the community hall, Nwuche thanked them for their conduct and turn out during the February 25th presidential and National Assembly elections and for voting according to the directive of the State PDP and urged them to come out in their numbers with their PVCs come March 18 to vote all PDP candidates. This according to Nwuche, is a panacea to attract more development to the community and also guarantee employment and empowerment opportunities for indigenes of the community, noting that Rivers state under Barr Nyesom Wike has witnessed tremendous developments in terms of infrastructure and human capacity development across all the local governments and ethnic groups, especially the Edeoha/Ikata/Ochigba road that was done by the Wike administration and the only way to appreciate and reciprocate the good gestures of the governor is by voting for PDP, assuring them that a victory for PDP will attract more developments to the community under Siminialayi Fubara as governor.

In his speech the paramount ruler of the community Chief Goodluck Oloko thanked Hon Nwuche for the purposeful and exemplary leadership he has provided in the community especially his swift response to issues in the community that requires his attention. Chief Oloko particularly commended Nwuche for his intervention during the 2022 flood that ravaged the area by promptly sending food and other relief materials and boats used to evacuate people from the community, emphasizing that one of the ways the community will repay Nwuche is by obeying 100% his directives which he assured will be adhered to.

In their separate speeches the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman Mr Anele Ogechi, Youth Leader Mr Uzhieyeka Oloko, Women Leader Mrs Florence Odukwu, PDP Leader in the community Architect Chris Enwudor all commended Nwuche for his love and concern for the community and assured that the community has unanimously agreed to give all their votes to PDP.

PRESS RELEASE


RIVERS STATE ELECTION CANNOT STAND UP TO ANY ACCEPTABLE BEST PRACTICE. IT MUST BE CANCELLED.


As most of us predicted, the presidential election held in Rivers state on Saturday, 25th February, 2023 had failed every acceptable Democratic standard and therefore must be cancelled.

The conduct of the officials of the election management body, INEC, was at most abysmally embarrassing and unearthical.

As the General Elections approached, Nigerians were expectant of a transparent Election following the Electoral Act and the introduction of BVAS Machine.

Generally, in Rivers State, the Election was conducted fairly. However , the collated results of the Polling Units could not be transmitted to the INEC Portal following the deliberate shut down of the INEC Saver at that critical stage of concluding the most important process of the exercise.

The results being announced so far cannot be a true reflection of the wishes of Rivers people and proves beyond every reasonable doubt that INEC officials were compromised and appears to be working for the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who had variously boasted that he had INEC in his pocket.

At this point, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and his agencies invaded the centers with their bags of hard currencies and hijacked the sensitive materials to their hideouts. The consequence is that, the already collated results have been mutilated, and no longer represent the voice of the electorates.


Nothing butresses this fact like the case of Gokana LGA where two sets of results were announced within hours of each other.

All across the state we are confronted with the same sickening electoral heist pertratec by Gov. Wike and his agents.

Weeks to the election date, we were confronted with violent attacks on politicians in the state, especially those perceived to be opposed to Governor Nyesom Wike.

I had earlier expressed worry at the audacity of those carrying out the attacks without any form of condemnation from Governor Wike, who swore on oath to protect lives and property in the State.

In the past one week Rivers people have been attacked, harassed, harmed and their residences bombed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) without a whimper of reservations from the State Government.

Tears, sorrows and blood have been the hallmark of activities trailing the political life of the governor, who relishes in crude politics over ideas and decency.

On Thursday, Feb 23rd, 2023, explosives were detonoted at the Etche residence of Hon Charles Anyanwu, the APC candidate for House of Assembly. Early in the morning on Friday, the houses of Chief Glory Emeh and Dr Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja respectively, both of them pro-Atiku PDP politicians were dynamited. Hon Gabriel Pidomson, another pro-Atiku PDP politician was also harassed by thugs suspected to be loyal to Wike.

Same day, prominent Labour Party leaders in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas were harassed and intimidated. Most of the attack on labour leaders were by known local government functionaries who operated without let.

I want to remind Governor Wike that there will always be his day in the court of Rivers’ people, where he would be made to answer for all the atrocities that happened during his term as governor of Rivers State.

Our forefathers had a dream of a great State, where ideas, decency, liberty and industry would be the benchmark of poilical engagments but we have been unfortunate with the present governor, who is anything but responsible and graceful.

It is a shame that we have such a scenario where a sitting governor would declare his fellow Rivers people enemies of the state and even go ahead to threaten them of dire consequences, hence no surprises of what is being played out today.


One thing is for sure, a day of reckoning will come for Wike and his cohorts. No amount of injustice meted on Rivers people will go unpunished, the Governor will be made to answer for all the charges when the time comes.

It is on this premise that I call on the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to outrightly cancel the Rivers State results and call for a fresh election in the State.

I also call on Rivers people not to be cowed or feel dejected by the machinations of evil people; this State belongs to all of us and no one man is more Rivers than any of us. We shall resist this dangerous trend and God being on our side, we shall conquer.

I urge Rivers people to persevere and remain resolute in their quest to bring Gov. Wike to justice by masively rejecting Siminialayi Fubara on March 11th.

We must also not relent until this electoral heist and usurpation of our mandates ochestrated by Gov Wike and his willing accomplices in the Rivers INEC offices is overturned and the real result announced.



Signed


Pastor Warigbani Ezekiel

27/02/2023

CORRIGENDUM

During the flagoff of the Ogbo/Ihugbogo road project being executed by our company by his excellency Gov Nyesom Nyesom Wike on the 31st of December 2022, one of our project engineers mistakenly referred to Chibudom Nwuche as our chairman.

This is incorrect as Nwuche is neither on our board/ management nor is he our chairman.We are however appreciative of his positive role in the harmonious relationship we enjoy with the Ekpeye people.

We sincerely apologise to him for the mistake and the embarrassment it may have caused him.

Engr Stanley Onyeneke
COREN, MNSE ,MNICE

For Management

Interglobal Technologies Limited

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE
INEC decided that they will not use University Lecturers as returning officers for 2023 Election. INEC will use only their staff for the exercise.

INEC today Inaugurated the Committee for NATIONAL SITUATION ROOM AND COLLATION CENTRE FOR THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION

1. Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, National Commissioner - Chairperson
2. Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, National Commissioner - Member
3. Barr. Festus Okoye, National Commissioner - Member
4. Director, Electoral Operations - Member
5. Director, ICT - Member
6. Director, Planning and Monitoring - Member
7. Director, Security - Member
8. Director, Election & Party Monitoring - Member
9. Director, International Cooperation & Protocol – Member
10. Director, Research – Member
11. Director, Health Services – Member
12. Director, Estate, Works and Transport – Member
13. Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman – Member
14. Special Adviser to the Chairman – Member
15. Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman – Member
16. Director, Commission Secretariat – Member/Secretary

The Situation Room and Collation Centre Committee was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who charged it to commence work in earnest and to discharge its responsibilities diligently.

Festus Okoye Esq.
National Commissioner & Chairman
Information and Voter Education Committee
Thursday 5th January 2023
[1/7, 10:43 PM] +234 806 429 9137: THIS IS WHAT THE NEW ELECTORAL LAW SAYS ON OUR NEXT ELECTIONS*:

1. No manual accreditation.

2. No use of incident forms.

3. All accreditation is electronic.

4. Accreditation is Bimodal meaning facial recognition and finger printing.

5. No pre-election cases after conclusion of Elections..

6. No election cases after swearing into office of the winner.

7. All results must be uploaded to INEC official website at the polling units before taking it to ward, constituency, LGA or state collation centers.

8. If the number of votes cast is more than the accredited voters the polling unit result is cancelled.

9. No more agreement between parties to share the remaining ballot papers that were not used.

10. No more massive thump printing and stuffing of ballot boxes. If you like go and steal ballot boxes you are wasting your time. You cannot change the result.

The people's votes are counting now. If you didn't serve the people well when in public office or you are not popular in your political locality, it is advisable to save your money because they will collect your money and vote against you.

End of ballots snatching has come to stay in Nigeria. With the amendment of Nigeria Electoral Act, our votes now counts.

Please share this information in other platforms you are added for wider coverage.