YOUTH LEADER FINGERS GOVERNMENT IN SOBOMA’S DEATH.

Onengiye Erekosima

By Tuboye Ominim

The last has not been heard of the death of former militant leader Soboma George, who was shot dead by gunmen in the Borokiri area of Port Harcourt in Rivers State recently.

A prominent youth leader in the Niger Delta and the President of Niger Delta Non-violent movement Onegiya Erekosima has accused the Rivers State Government of having knowledge in the death of the ex militant by failing in their responsibility of providing security for its citizens and others residing in the state.

“The death of Soboma George is a great concern to me because Soboma is one of the reasons why we are enjoying peace in this state. I personally initiated the peace process to ensure that all factions loyal to Soboma, Fara, Ateke and others are settled. So the idea for government to come out and say a particular group of people killed him is not true, I have a serious problem with that statement. If you recall Soboma was killed on a day the first lady was in Port Harcourt with all the security in place.”

Erekosima also expressed worry in the way the Police have been handling the issue of the death of the former MEND member. He describes the pronouncement by the state Police Commissioner Suleiman Abba that the Police is awaiting the autopsy report on the corpse as laughable.

“Soboma was not hanged neither was he poisoned, so why wait for an autopsy, it doesn’t make sense. The Police have declared his killers wanted not only for his murder but on other charges which is further confusing. If they have been looking for those people for other crimes they should have declared them wanted long ago rather than tying his death to them.”

He further called on Rivers people to hold government accountable in the event of any break down of law and order, stressing that the current situation in the state is a clear indication that the government is trying to cause great confusion in order to achieve its aim of rigging the forth coming general elections. 

“We must not fail to say the truth at all times, the government is not far from the killing, it’s all a ploy to throw the entire state into confusion and put the people into another round of suffering, they know it was not possible for anybody or group to carry out such attack with the presence of security everywhere” he said.

The youth leader however appeals to anyone with the intention to take advantage of the murder of Soboma to unleash mayhem in the state to remain calm. “I am seriously calling everybody who in one way or the other would take advantage of the situation and revenge to remain calm and we will ensure that no reaction whatsoever is carried out because we want to handle this maturely.”

Erekosima also took a swipe at the state government for not showing so much sincerity in the amnesty granted to repentant militants. He says the government has refused to set free over fifty ex militants who are currently languishing in the Port Harcourt prison which is supposed to be part of the amnesty deal.

RIVERS ACN CRISIS DEEPENS

I’m still chairman says Badey.

                                                By Chris Daniels.

Asari Dokubo

The political crisis rocking the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN Rivers State chapter appears far from being over. There have been claims and counter claims as regards the leadership of the party with all factions claiming legitimacy as regards its leadership.

At the party’s mini convention in Lagos a fight broke out between loyalist of the current leader of the party in the state Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari and that of the acting chairman Suwage Badey.

The fracas which resulted in the hospitalization of Badey following injuries sustained from the beating by Asari’s loyalists has been one of the many troubles the party has been facing since the exit of its former leader Tonye Princewill.

Badey and his delegates to the national convention were supposedly attacked on the basis that they had no grounds to be at the summit.

It would be recalled that a while ago, a faction of the party announced the dissolution of the executive committee led by Suwage Badey and inaugurated a transitional committee, chaired by Uche Okokwu.

But Badey in an interview with wezinareports stated that in spite of the threats by Asari and his cohorts he remains the chairman of the party.

“ I still remain the chairman of the ACN in Rivers State, am a man that does not give in to threats and all that, if Asari is committed to the party he should follow laid down provisions of what binds the party, rather than engage loyal party members in fisticuffs and try to drag the name of the party to mud” .

On the inauguration of a nine man transitional committee headed by Barrister Uche Okokwu, the embattled chairman said the committee is illegal and not recognized by the party at the national level.

“Asari and a few of his cronies just sat here in Rivers state in one room and constituted a new body which they called a transitional committee without members of the Exco in the state nor any other chapter being aware. So how was it implemented?

“It was neither ratified by the zone or at the national level. Another issue is that of  Uche Okokwu the so called Chairman of the transitional committee. Is he a member of the ACN? No he is not. And he has never been a member. He is known to be a member of the ANPP and at some point the personal lawyer to Asari Dokubo and Celestine Omehia. So the committee does not have any legitimacy at all”.

The embattled party boss thanks his kinsmen who had issued warnings to Asari on threat to his life but insists that he is not bothered by death threats. “ I was warned at the convention grounds that I will not live to see the 2011 elections but I am not bothered about death threats and Asari should know such threats could lead to ethnic rivalry. I would however not encourage any of my kinsmen to engage in violence.”

Badey further hints that Rivers ACN has began a process of disengagement from the unity government of Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

Sacked GOCs get new posts

Sacked GOCs get new posts

Monday, 27 September 2010 04:01          Misbahu Bashir  

The General Officers Commanding army formations in the country sacked recently have been assigned new posts. Major General Lawrence Ngubane, who was formally GOC 2 Division Ibadan, is now the army Chief of Training and Operations while Major General M. A Yerima, formerly Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy, becomes Chief of Training and Operations at the Defence Headquarters.

Major General S K Bello, formerly Commander of the Joint Task Force, is now GOC 82 Division. The former GOC 3 Division, Major General Saleh Maina has been redeployed to Defence Headquarters.

Officers who will be retiring included the former Chief of Policy and Plans, Major General A.A Atoferati, former GOC 1 Division Major General K A Role, as well as former GOC 81 Division Major General Eugine Nwanjuma.

The changes followed the appointment of new Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika.

A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said the posting was carried out following recent retirements and appointments of officers.

Major General Emeka Onwuameagbu is the new Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna; Major General AB Maitama, Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters while the new Guards Brigade Commander is Colonel EJ Atewe.

The new Commander of the Joint Task Force is Major General CO Omoregie. Major General Joseph Shoboiki is the new GOC 1Division. Brigadier General Kenneth Minima is new GOC 81 Division Lagos while Brigadier General MD Abubakar is the GOC 2 Division, Ibadan.

Culled From Daily Trust Newspaper

AMAECHI TO SPEND N10B ON G.U AKE ROAD, ELIOZU BRIDGE

Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotomi Amaechi has awarded the contract for the complete rebuilding and re-construction of the foremost link road that connects the city of Port Harcourt to the International airport in the outskirts of the city and further down to Imo State. The road is the 10-kilometre G.U Ake road and Eliozu Bridge and Roundabout.

The road which is a key link into Port Harcourt opens from Aba road at Airforce junction and runs through Eliozu Bridge to the Olu Obasanjo By-pass at Ikwerre road leading to the Port Harcourt International Airport and further down to Imo State.

First constructed by a previous administration, the road is rapidly failing and residents of Port Harcourt have constantly cried out to the State Government, labeling the road a death trap. The previos administration of Celestine Omehia awarded the Eliozu over pass to Bulletine for N1.7 billion and made full 100 per cent payment shortly before he was removed from office. 

In line with his vision of rebuilding the State, Governor Amaechi who had never been comfortable with the quality of work and the way work was been done on the Eliozu overpass has awarded the contract for re-construction of the road and bridge to RCC.

Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Hon. Dakuku Peterside explains that the contract has been awarded to RCC at N10 billion and work is expected to start in October as soon as the rains subside. 

He said: “the total work done earlier on that road has been bad, the bridge is one bridge that we have strongly criticized, the contractors did a shoddy job and so far the entire job has been poorly done and the road is serously failing which is why the Amaechi administration has resorted to re-constructing it as the best option.”

"The road will be re-constructed with 20kms sub-surface drains, 10kms on both sides; the approaches to the Eliozu overpass will be done and the road will be expanded. The  road would also have 20Kms of paved walkway, outward drains, streetlights and greenery. We are looking at completing this project by June next year.”

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Amaechi on Media and Publicity, David Iyofor  said that “the G. U Ake road and  Eliozu Bridge is a key gateway road that leds into the City of Port Harcourt.

Most people that come into Port Harcourt from the airport, the communities around the airport and from Imo State come through this road and bridge. There have been a lot of complaints about this road and bridge. On Governor Amaechi’s facebook page, people have consistently criticize the quality of work done on that bridge and the roundabout. The Governor had told the people to exercise patience. Now, he has awarded the contract for that entire stretch of road and bridge to be redone." 

Rivers State governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi

“This is just one of the many roads and projects that the Amaechi administration is doing in Rivers State. Governor Amaechi’s priority is ensuring that these projects are completed within the life span of his administration. He has said repeatedly that he would not be distracted and has remained focused on the job of rebuilding the State. Work is going on at project sites in almost every part of the State, while so many others have been completed”, Iyofor said

RSG deny anti- EFCC protesters

By Nnamdi Uzoukwu and China Acheru

 

The Rivers State government have categorically denied being a part of of sponsoring thousands of youth in the state who took to the streets last week protesting the alleged harrassment of state officers by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

 

On Wednesday last week, the youth believed to be supporters of the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi mobilized against the EFCC over the alleged intimidation and arrest of government officials in Rivers State.

 

Various inscriptions were written on Posters, T-shirts and caps, as they expressed “we will not be intimidated, we will defend our state against EFCC”, “EFCC obey court order, the court is supreme’’, “EFCC  now political weapon, EFCC the Nigerian Gestapo”, “Farida & EFCC are not obeying the Law, Farida obey court orders and judgments, EFCC leave Rivers State”.

 

Acting Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State governor, Blessing Wikina told CityTimes that the Rivers State government had no invilvement in the protest though there was a heavy presence of top ranking government officials that met with the protesters at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt.

 

The state Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru was there and so was the Commissioner for Justice, Ken Chikere.

 

Ikuru told the protesters that the governor, Amaechi was a man of the rule of law because he came into government by the rule of law.

 

“We respect the rule of law in this state because our government came in by the same rule of law.

 

“We only want EFCC to do the right thing,” Ikuru said.

 

By doing the right thing he obviously meant the court order stopping the EFCC from steping into Rivers State to arrest any government official.

 

Blessing Wikina told CityTimes Last week that the government expect the EFCC to go to a higher court and vacate that court order before they will be welcome in the state.

 

Ikuru continued that the EFCC adopted this same strategy against the state in 2007

 

“Have we asked why they only come here when it is close to election periods?

 

“They must be reminded that the EFCC’s tenancy in Rivers State is owned by the state and it is not fair if they come against a state that has rendered help to them.

 

“The Rivers State government is the only one in the country that renders her account of stewardship. Not even the Federal Government has done that,” he said.

 

The Commissioner for Justice, Justice Ken Chikere said the people of the state are very comfortable with the governor state Housing of Assembly has not found the Governor wanting in any way.

 

“Ïhave written several letters to the Chairman of the EFCC and endorsed it to the counsel on the case involving state government versus EFCC. He said EFCC must obey the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

In a related development, the EFCC claim they have discovered a hotel where wanted officials of the Rivers State government are hiding.

 

According to an EFCC source, the hotel, Eddytims, is owned by Timothy Nsirim, the current chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

 

They are however afraid of moving in on them yet for fear of reprisal attacks by people loyal to the Rivers State government.

 

However, Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State governor insists that following the incessant arrest of officials of the state by the EFCC over financial fraud,it is a ploy to prevent him from contesting the 2011 election.

 

As a result it was alleged that he mobilized supporters from the 23 LGAs in the State to protest against the actions of the EFCC against his administration.

 

You will recal that early this month, governor Ameachi in an information summit held in Port Harcourt threatened to mobilize Rivers people against EFCC, a statement the PRO of the anti crime body, Femi Babafemi described as Executive recklessness.

Amaechi, EFCC on war path

Threatens to mobilize against anti-crime commission

By China Acheru

The Rivers State governor, Rt Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Ameachi is in the news again and this time it has to do with last week’s arrest of three Local Government chairmen in Rivers State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Operatives of the EFCC were in Port Harcourt last week to arrest 2 commissioners, For Finance, George Feyii, and the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Tammy Danagogo as well as three Local Government chairmen for Ikwerre, Obio/ Akpor and Port Harcourt but the chairmen and commissioners were said to have gone underground on getting a tip off.

However, the EFCC made away with the treasurer of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Jessy Ogulor; Head of Personnel, Ikwerre Local Government, Dawariboko Iketrokosun; and Cashier, Obio/Akpor Local Government, Hyacinth Nwosirim leaving the governor, Amaechi to fume at a public event.

The governor accused the EFCC of acting like they are above the law and reminded them of a court injunction stopping them from arresting any government official in Rivers State.

Speaking at an Information Summit in the state, the governor also said he will mobilize the people of Rivers State against the EFCC if they ever tried to arrest government officials in Port Harcourt.

But the Public Relations Officer of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi seemed bemused when confronted with these allegations.

“First, for the records, I want to say we have nothing personal against Rivers State or its government officials but we work based on petitions and right now we have a lot of petitions against those officials we went in against,” Babafemi told City Times.

“Then if the governor made such a statement about mobilizing the people of the state against us, I will just say it is executive gangsterism.  But I do not want to believe he said that.”

However, the acting Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State governor, Blessing Wikina agrees that the governor made that statement but accuses the EFCC of not following due process.

“The EFCC is a creation of the law and just like people obey them because of the law, they should also obey the law,” Wikina said.

“There is a court order stopping them from arresting any Rivers State government official and that was obtained when Dr. Peter Odili was governor. We want them to respect that court ruling.”

Indeed, the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili secured a court judgment perpetually retraining the EFCC from arresting any Rivers State government official, something Babafemi denies knowledge of.

“I am not aware of any court injunction stopping us from carrying out our duties. It is not true. If this court injunction was secured in 2007 like you say, how come in 2008 we arrested some state government officials and again last week, we arrested some Local Government officials?

“It simply means that no one is stopping us from working,” Babafemi said.

But whichever way the claims and counter claims go, Blessing Wikina fires another salvo saying the EFCC know what to do if they ever want to enter Port Harcourt legally to effect arrests.

“It was a court that stopped them from coming so they must go to a superior court to vacate that injunction.

“That is why they lost the case against the Chief Of Staff and the case against Zenith bank because they had no right to enter Rivers State to arrest them.

“How come Odili has not been investigated till today? They know the law but they think they are above it. The court injunction was not sought by this administration but we must all respect it.”

The commission is investigating an alleged diversion of N12bn belonging to the 22 LGs of the state.

They had tried to arrest the two commissioners and three Local government chairmen but failed in that bid.

However, the rumour mills say the siege on Rivers State may not be unconnected with the fact that the Rivers State governor refused to endorse the presidential bid of Goodluck Jonathan, a claim that cannot but substantiated, at least not yet.

Bill divides RHA

A Social services bill seeking for residents of Rivers State to pay levies have so far not received the backing of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The social services bill seeks to place diverse annual and monthly levies on workers, business executives and professionals resident in Rivers State with the purpose of servicing the health and education sectors of the state.

Jones Ogbonda who is the House committee chairman on Social Welfare told newsmen at the assembly premises that that the bill failed to get the approval of the stakeholders during its public hearing.

“Even though they agreed that it would achieve something good, they frowned at the fact that the bill would be unjust, discriminatory and contradictory to Federal Laws,” Ogbonda said.

“All stakeholders were enormous in their support of the bill but argued that all taxes are meant to provide social services  so it would be tantamount to double taxation is implemented,” Ogbonda said.

However, speaker of the House, Tonye Harry insisted that the bill would still be up for debate at a later date after they must have reconciled all areas of disagreement.

Opponents of the bill argue that it does not consider the sufferings of the people in the state.

PDP restoration team vow to fight on

By China Acheru

A group of aggrieved members of the Rivers State PDP who call themselves the Restoration Team say they will fight on despite intimidation from the state government.

Last week twelve members of the restoration team were arrested while meeting at a parallel PDP secretariat at Ohaeto street in D/Line and arraigned in court before being released on bail.

However, one of the twelve told CityTimes that they are fighting a just cause and as such cannot give up now.

“The governor and his current ruling class are afraid and we do not really know why. It is their fear that is making them act like a dictatorship but our mission is clear.

“We are not meeting because we want to be governor or chief of staff. We are meeting because there is a big crack in the Rivers PDP and we want to be noticed so there can be a peace meeting and PDP in Rivers State can be one again,” he said.

Members of the restoration team claim they are the founding fathers of the PDP in Rivers State yet they have been disenfranchised because of personal ambitions of the current ruling class.

According the them, they are not after power but they want the crack within the party to be sealed.

“There should be harmony in the party. We do not like the alienation. We built this party. We won the elections for this party yet we are no longer part of the party. That is our fight.”

However, they were accused of trying to foment trouble in the state by the Secretary to the State government, Magnus Abe.

Abe went further to accuse the immediate past governor of the state, Sir Celetine Omehia, former transport minister, Abiye Sekibo and former Deputy Speaker, house of representatives, Austin Opara of sponsoring the twelve men arrested to destabilize the state.

Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt after their arrest, Abe said the government cannot allow the state to drift back into its previous state of insecurity and had to act fast.

“Some communities in Rivers State today are non-existent because of a series of adverse security situations we had in the state,” Abe said.

According to him, “those arrested and prosecuted have little electoral value.”

But one of the twelve told CityTimes that it is a shame they are called all sorts of names just so the government can justify their actions.

“We know what Port Harcourt was like before now and we enjoy the peace in the state but have we forgotten that the Nigerian constitution allows for freedom of association? We have been denied of our rights to meet.

“But we must state clear why we were meeting so the records are straight,” he said.

“It is not news that the party is divided and a lot of true stakeholders like two former governors, a former minister, a former presiding officer of the Federation, commissioners and legislators have been shut out from the scheme of things.

“Then in the last party registration exercise, we were all denied our rights to register as party members so we had to hold a meeting to strategise on how to go ahead with the newly introduced e-registration before we were arrested and charged to court.

“We are not going to give up. We are ready to be arrested over and over again but the national secretariat must look into the matter of what goes on in what is left of the Rivers State PDP.”

These allegations made by the reform group were however debunked by the chairman of the Rivers State PDP, Uche Sekondus.

Speaking to the Guardian last week, Sekondus said, “I believe that our politics has reached the stage where people need to stop telling lies to the public.

“Their petition is based on falsehood and an attempt to undermine me and the state party executive,” Sekondus said.

He said the primaries for the ward, council and state congresses were not held in hotel rooms as alleged.

The political situation in Rivers State is already very tense and uncertain ahead of the party and national elections which come up between now and the first quarter of 2011.

The members of the PDP restoration team arrested were two former commissioners in the state, Lolo Ibieneye and Mrs Chidi Lali Green, Prince Ohochukwu, a former state chairman of PDP for eight years; Sokuru Jaja; Dominic Saatah; Agiobu Fubara; and Francis Ebenezer.

There were also Grant Orugbani and Chidi Nwankwo Nancy.

Others were Achinike Wonodi, Ejor Ngowah Ejor and Nwuke Anucha all former council chairmen.

Okrika chairmanship tussle

Government, former chairman trade words

By China Acheru

The news hit town late last week that chairman of Okrika Local Government Area, Tamunokro Oba tendered his resignation but that was just the beginning of the controversy.

Two days earlier Nigeria’s first lady, Patience Jonathan was in Rivers State and engaged in a public spat with the state governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi when they visited Okrika to inspect a Model Secondary School Project so the rumour mills went ahead to state the Oba’s resignation was fallout of the first Lady’s visit.

But a day after the purported resignation and a following Press Release by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari confirming that the vice chairman of the council, James Aduko had actually taken over, Oba went on air at two private radio stations in Port Harcourt claiming he did not resign and that the whole saga was a fraud.

Tobins Soala, his Press Secretary agrees the resignation letter was forged and also insists it was all a fall out of the first lady’s visit.

“I tell you the truth this whole thing is about the visit of the first lady. The government claimed that they were not informed of the civic reception and they called him to a meeting at the government house which he did not conclude with them.

“Later he heard he had resigned but how can he resign without me, the council secretary or himself signing the letter?”

But Acting Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Blessing Wikina told City Times that the two incidents are in no way connected.

“The first lady’s visit to Port Harcourt is a separate and isolated incident from the resignation of the Local Government chairman and I do not know why people have decided to link both of them.

“It is just like the death of Soboma George that happened on the same day so will it be fair to say he was killed because of the first lady’s visit?” Wikina said.

He told City Times that the chairman resigned because of internal problems he had with his councillors.

“It is no secret that he had a running battle with his 12 councillors and that led to his resignation and nothing more.”

But Soala again insist that there is peace in the council.

“It is not true that the chairman had problems with his councillors. Everyone knows there is peace there so I do not know where they got the story,” Soala said.

On allegations made by Oba that he did not resign, Ibim Semenitari told City Times that she issued a press release based on a resignation letter tendered by the former chairman and it will be unfair to the world for him to now say he never resigned.

“So far and to the best of my knowledge he has had three versions of the story so which do we believe. I really do not want to join issues with him but I have to say this to clear the air,” Semenitari said.

“He said he was forced, then he said his signature was forged and he later told the world it was a letter he wrote when he was vice-chairman so he must tell us what version of his story we should believe,” the commissioner said.

We are not cultist- PDP faction

By China Acheru

The Rivers PDP faction called the Restoration group have denied claims that they are cultist.

In a press release made public by Jerry Needam, their Publicity Secretary, they say they are saddened by statements credited to Mr. Magnus Abe, SSG and chief of staff to the Rivers State government, Nyesom Wike.

The release stated that, “It is saddening to have such remarks made of such prominent men and women of Rivers origin who had at one time or the other contributed to the growth and development of not just Rivers State but our great party, the PDP.”

According to them, these prominent men and women were amongst those disenfranchised during the faulty PDP registration exercise that took place in the state a few weeks ago and thought it wise to gather themselves to prepare for the ongoing e-registration that just started in the country.

“They were arrested by the police in their own faction of the PDP secretariat at Ohaeto Street in D/ Line and we are saddened to hear that these men of calibre are being labelled cultists by Magnus Abe and Nyesom Wike.”

They enjoined their supporters to remain calm and law abiding as they are on top of the situation.

The arrested, detained and eventually released people are Lolo Ibieneye and Mrs Chidi Lali Green, Prince Ohochukwu, Sokuru Jaja; Dominic Saatah; Agiobu Fubara; and Francis Ebenezer.

There were also Grant Orugbani and Chidi Nwankwo Nancy.

Others were Achinike Wonodi, Ejor Ngowah Ejor and Nwuke Anucha.