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Wike To PDP: “Sack Me, And I Will Pepper You”

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The Source
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Nyesom Wike

By Charles Igbo

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dared the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to expel him from the Party.

Wike, who has not hidden the fact that he is in a romance with other Presidential candidates, and has done and said enough to rubbish the National Chairman of the  Party, Iyorchia Ayu, and de-market the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said the PDP has not seen anything yet. Wike is the leader of a PDP faction, which includes four serving Governor and a couple of former ones, who are against Atiku’s aspiration, unless Ayu steps down from office.

Their bluff has since been called but not a few people are of the opinion that it could hurt Atiku’s ambition in 2023.

Wike spoke at a banquet he held in Porthacourt for his faction, now known as the Integrity Group.

A number of people have asked the PDP to expel Wike from the Party over what they see as his glaring anti-party activities. The Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA, a couple of days ago, also urged the PDP to expel Wike. They agree Wike is on a deliberate mission to destroy the PDP.

But speaking at the banquet he held for the visiting Governors, Wike dared the Party to expel him. He said: “They say they will sack me. I have been living for the day they will sack me. Sack me. Sack me. When you sack me, I pepper you.You will know that khaki no be leather.

“Seyi, (Governor Makinde), we dey here. Ortom (Benue Governor)we dey here. Ariria (Governor Okezie lkpeazu) we dey here. Gburugburu (Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) we dey here.”

The Group, however, says the window of dialogue is still open. Not a few people doubt that.

Why I Have No Regrets Supporting LP Candidate, Peter Obi – Wike

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The Source
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Nyesom Wike and Peter Obi

By Charles Igbo

Nyesom Wike,  Rivers State Governor, has explained why he is supporting the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Wike, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Governor, had ruffled feathers a few days ago when he publicly said he would give logistic support to Obi any time he comes to Rivers State for Campaign. “Anytime you are coming to Rivers State, tell me, I will give you logistic support”, Wike told Obi who was in the State, on Wike’s invitation, to commission one of Wike’s landmark projects.

Since then, Wike’s stand on Obi has shaken the PDP, and all kinds of interpretation have been given as to why the Governor publicly made the offer.

Wike and four other Governors who he leads – Samuel Ortom, Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu, Seyi Makinde, Oyo – and a sizeable number of PDP stakeholders, including a couple of former Governors and former Ministers, have been at loggerheads with the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, since the Presidential Primary.

Wike, a Presidential aspirant was beaten by Atiku to a respectable second place.

And since then, especially, when Atiku skipped a very expectant Wike, and picked Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor, as his running mate, nothing has been the same in the Party.

Believing that Ayu rigged the Primary in favour of Atiku Wike’s Group, which now calls itself, the Integrity Group, insists that Ayu must quit office as the National Chairman. This, especially, as Ayu had promised, before  the Primary, that he would step down from office if a Northerner becomes the Candidate. Ayu has refused to keep the promise. He has the support of Atiku, who had also made same promise, not to quit.

But Wike’s Group insists that it would not support Atiku’s Presidential ambition unless Ayu quits for a Southerner as Chairman. It says the National Chairman and the Presidential Candidate cannot come from the same Zone.

All efforts to make peace have, so far, failed. And the PDP is not sure where the five States under the Governors would vote in 2023.

But at a State banquet he held for the four Governors in his group when they were in Porthacourt to flag-off the Rivers PDP campaigns for its candidates, Wike said he had no regrets to say he would give Obi logistic support.

He said:”They say I am supporting Obi, I have no regrets offering him logistic support. Obi us a former Governor. As a former Governor, I must, I must give him logistic support. I will give him security and I will give him vehicles. Should I say as former Governor I will not give him security, and I will not give him vehicles?”

Given an inkling to who he could eventually work for, Wike said he told Obi: “My brother, let the truth be told not one, not one, House of Assembly, National Assembly is available. ‘If it didn’t de, it didn’t de.’

Wike cleverly left out the Presidency. He also said there is no other party in Rivers State, except PDP Rivers State Chapter. He made sure he added “Rivers State Chapter” instead of saying PDP.

For the records, on Monday when Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP went to Rivers State, Wike also promised to give him logistic support. Kwankwaso was a two-term Governor of Kano State.

Amaechi Slams Wike For Building Law School, Says It Is A Waste Of Rivers State Money

By
Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

“That money you are investing in a big Federal Government project, you should have used it to employ more teachers, build more schools, pay teachers salary arrears, and create more jobs for our people. Rivers State has the highest number of unemployment”

The immediate past Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has slammed the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for wasting Rivers State money to build a campus of the Nigerian Law School in Porthacourt.

Amaechi said it made no sense for the Governor to spend that money in building the Law School, a Federal project, when  many Primary and Secondary Schools in Rivers State are in a terrible State, when there is shortage of teachers, and when teachers are owed months in salary arrears.

Amaechi, who was a two-term Governor of Rivers State, and who was succeeded by Wike, spoke to Vanguard Newspaper on why he refused to build the Law School during his tenure as Governor when he was approached to do so.

The former Governor said he was approached with the proposal, but when he asked them where the funds would come from, and he was told Rivers State Government’s treasury, he declined. He explained that he gave them land to build the Law School if they desired to do so, but at their own expense. He said Wike should have used the homogeneous amount of money he used to build the Law School to refurbish Rivers State’s Schools, hired more teachers, trained more teachers and paid salary arrears.

Amaechi: “Yes, it’s true (refusing to build the Law School). I asked them, when they brought the proposal, would the Federal Government fund it? And they said no. I’m not a Father Christmas. I said Primary Schools in Rivers State are not functioning. Secondary Schools are not functioning. And, I would go and build a Law school for a  Government as big as the Federal Government?

“I told them that I have a land, and here’s the land, and they said no. So, I don’t know why that is an achievement for a man whose Primary and Secondary Schools are not functioning, and whose teachers are not paid.

“By the time I did an audit of Education in Rivers State, we trained 90,000 teachers, and I employed 13,200. So, that money that he used in building Law School, could have been used in employing more teachers.

“It’s a Federal Government responsibility. I told them I was not interested, but I would give them the land. So, the money used there could have been used in building more schools, employing more teachers and training them.

“Like, out of the 13,200 teachers we employed, only 3,000 were teachers, the other 13,200 were people who were just looking for jobs, and we employed them and took them to Rivers State University of Education to train them for six months.

“So that money you are investing in a big Federal Government project, you should have used it to employ more teachers, build more schools, and create more jobs for our people. Rivers State has the highest number of unemployment.”

However, some people argue that the project is located in the State, and would employ Rivers State indigenes  and put food on the table of the people around  its location directly and indirectly.

The Law School built by Wike for the Federal Government was commissioned a few days ago by President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Ekiti Assembly Crisis: Count Me Out – Fmr Gov Fayemi

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

As fingers are being pointed to the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi that he was the arrow head of uneasy calm at the Ekiti state House of Assembly, he has  come out to put record straight.

Fayemi distanced himself from the impeachment of Gboyega Aribisogan, who was removed by members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly as Speaker on Monday

Aribisogan, who served in that capacity for six days, was succeeded by  Olubunmi Adelugba, who became the first woman to head the parliament in the state.

Aribisogan, specifically accused Fayemi for spear heading his removal due to some irreconcilable  differences.

Speaking during an interview in Channels television, Aribisogan stated that “I tried to reach him (Fayemi) through a text message on Saturday night, Up till now, he has not done anything on it, but he has been calling our members to go and impeach me tomorrow (Monday).

“As I speak with you, seven of our members are locked up in a guest house in Ado Ekiti in cahoots with some of his former aides.

“They don’t want democratic processes to take place in the Assembly and these people are even with arms, saying they are going to assassinate the speaker and take over the place tomorrow (Monday) morning.

“Majority of the members of the Assembly voted for me, but a few of them, who felt that perhaps I did not follow the directive of the former governor of the state, felt that they would make the place ungovernable for my administration.”

But a statement by Fayemi’s Media Office on Monday, signed by Ahmad Sajoh, stated that Fayemi has no hand in the impeachment of the Speaker.

The statement reads: “We note the allegation by the former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Gboyega Aribisogan, that his impeachment was masterminded by Dr Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past Governor of the state.

“We wish to clarify that Dr Fayemi had nothing to do with the removal of the former Speaker by his peers as this was the internal arrangement of the state House of Assembly.

“We wish to note that even as Governor, Dr Fayemi did not interfere with the independence of the House and respected the principle of separation of powers where the House had freedom to decide on their internal affairs.”

Wike Promises Kwankwaso Logistic Support For Campaign In Rivers State;  Says Remember Rivers If You Win

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Nyesom Wike and Rabiu Kwakwanso

By Akinwale Kasali

Less than a week after promising Labour Party, LP, Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, Logistics Support in Rivers State for his Presidential Campaign, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has also promised same to New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Presidential Candidate, Rabiu  Kwankwaso.

Wike, one of the aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governor on Monday pledged to support, with logistics, the presidential candidate of the former Kano State Governor when he visits Rivers State for his campaigns.

But he made a request from Kwankwaso. He told the Presidential candidate not to forget Rivers State if he wins and becomes the President in 2023.

The PDP Governor had invited Kwankwaso to inaugurate the Mgbutanwo Internal Roads in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.

The Rivers State Governor called Kwankwaso a friend and a man of integrity, stressing further that he was one of the few people that met Kwankwaso, who was a former PDP member, not to leave the party because he knew he was an asset to the PDP, especially in Kano State.

He said, “I remember when I went to meet you in your house in Abuja to plead with you not to leave the party (PDP) because I knew you were an asset to the party. Even when they told me to leave you alone, I refused.

“I have known you and I know you are a man of integrity so I want to say that whenever you want to campaign in Rivers State, I will provide you with all your logistics, just let me know when you want to come.”

It would be recalled that Wike had earlier described Obi as a man that had all the characteristics to lead Nigeria.

This development has further raised doubt on the loyalty of Wike who has been romancing other Political Parties at the expense of his Party, PDP.

Wike has been at loggerheads with the Party since the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the PDP Presidential Candidate, which didn’t augur well with Wike and other Four Governors in the Party leading to the emergence of G5 (Aggrieved Governors), who have recently formed the Integrity Group.

Bianca Ojukwu’s Heartbreak At The Wickedness Of Nigerians At Enugu Accident Scene

By
The Source
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A former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Her Excellency, Iyom Bianca Ojukwu, has expressed shock over the heartlessness exhibited by some Nigerians at an accident scene in Enugu.

Nigerians have an unforgivable habit of videoing and taking gory photographs of victims of accidents or other tragedies, with their phones, instead of giving a helping hand.

They watch them groan in pain, and instead of taking those still alive to the hospital, videoing and taking their photographs become their priority.

Recently, Ambassador Ojukwu, who is the widow of Dim Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, came across one of such horrible  scenes, and recounts her traumatic experience in a post.

According to her, when she got to the scene, she noticed that a couple of the victims were still alive and yearning for help. But all those who clustered around them, were not willing to help. They concentrated on their phones to record the dying moments of the victims.

Her words:

“I alighted from my vehicle with my aides, including those in my backup vehicles and approached the scene. To my shock and dismay, most of the people standing around there, who just parked their own cars by the side of the expressway were simply busy with their cellphones taking pictures and making videos of the gruesome incident.

“We literally had to fight many of them away from the scene, especially some heartless souls with their phones held up at point blank against the faces of victims, recording their agony and their dying groans.

“I noticed more of the victims were breathing and we tried to get motorists who were slowing down purely to watch the horror, to help us to transport the victims to the nearest hospital to no avail. They would slow down, peek and pass. I made my way to the victim that first caught my eye, a lady who appeared unconscious but was moving her hand. When I approached her, and she heard my voice, all she could mutter was, ‘biko, jide m aka’ (please hold my hand). I assured her she would be ok, the lady lying beside her, also dressed in the same uniform was groaning in intense pain.

“No emergency medical response services in sight, Not even Road Safety officials, I noticed three young men and another lady who were equally scouting for good samaritans to transport survivors to the nearest hospital. Nobody else seemed willing to help. Some were even trying to avoid my eye and my pleas as they snaked their way past the gory scene.

“Together with the three young men we lifted several of the victims into our vehicles and headed for the hospital. The road was blocked with traffic but we eventually got there. The hospital staff swung into action and battled to save those that were still breathing. Several did not make it.”

2023: APC, Pro Tinubu Group Applauds CAN For Showing Maturity Over Muslim-Muslim Ticket

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

A Group within the All Progressives Congress, APC, has hailed the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, for making a U-turn on its hard stand over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the Party. APC’s Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a Muslim, had picked another Muslim, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate. The choice met serious opposition by especially, Christian bodies.

The APC said the apex Christian body showed a sense of maturity, which is a welcome development.

APC Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, applauded CAN for showing maturity in accommodating the party’s candidate.

Speaking further, Ibrahim said only an unreasonable person would consider Tinubu a religious bigot when virtually his entire household practises the Christian Faith.

“Those who are agitating against Muslim-Muslim ticket are wrongly directing their anger at Tinubu. He is one person who is indiscriminate when it comes to religious standing. If he is a conservative or an extremist, he will not allow himself to stay under the same roof with a woman of different faith.

“There is nothing wrong with CAN invitation. Tinubu himself has made it very clear that he is not going to govern by religion. He also said his policies will not be influenced by religion.

“By now, we must have heard that his wife and children are Christians. Only an intolerant person can accept that reality.

“I am sure CAN has come to rescind its earlier stance and allow room for reasoning. It is good to talk, which I observe is beginning to yield result. You know politics is all about give and take. Sometimes you don’t get when you don’t ask. How you ask also matters in some cases. The ultimate aim is for you to get,” he stated.

This is coming up days after the former Lagos State Governor met with the leadership of CAN at a political roundtable, where he reassured the religious body that he will not run his administration on the basis of religion if elected as president.

Following this development, a Pro-Tinubu Group under the aegis of City Boy Progressive Group said CAN reconsideration of its earlier decision not to accommodate him over the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket should be applauded.

The Coordinator of the Group at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Olanrewaju Omolayo, hailed the religious organisation over its renewed position, stressing that it signifies that the leadership has shifted from their previous stance of not wanting anything to do with the same faith ticket.

He said, “I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate CAN for their new position concerning the political atmosphere of this country. They had a meeting with the presidential candidate some days ago and presented him with some demands of issues to tackle. It is a sign that they have shifted from their previous stance that they won’t assent to the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“I appreciate and encourage them. I am a pastor too to the glory of God and I assure you that the Asiwaju we all know is not a religious bigot. What Nigeria needs now is who can fix the country. Asiwaju fixed Lagos. I came to Lagos in 1971 and left the state in 1994. I know what it was then and what it has become now. I want to encourage Nigerians to look beyond religion in choosing our leaders. I want to praise CAN again for taking a new position to give all the presidential candidates running for 2023 a level playing field.”

How Seventy Six Kidnapped Victims Were Rescued In Kaduna

By
Ayodele Oni
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Kaduna Kidnapped Victims

By Ayodele Oni

Collaboration among security operatives in Kaduna state has paid off with the rescue of some kidnapped victims.

A team of security operatives comprising Nigeria Police Force and Nigerian Army, dislodged barricade mounted by suspected bandits and rescued 76 passengers already taken captive.

Police statement explained that the incident happened along Funtua-Zaria Road at Gulbala area in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna state.

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mohammed Jalige who revealed in a statement, said the victims were rescued last weekend.

He explained that the Police Divisional Headquarters, Giwa, received a report that a large number of bandits wielding sophisticated weapons blocked the section of Funtua-Zaria road to abduct innocent commuters.

According to him, the police and military were immediately mobilized to the location to dismantle the road blockade, root out the armed miscreants and rescue any victim they might have abducted.

He said on reaching the location, a Ford open truck with Registration number APP 667 XG was found without passengers and information garnered had it that a large number of passengers on the truck had been moved off the road by the bandits.

DSP Jalige said an immediate rescue operation by the operatives was done into the forest where the bandits were encountered and due to pressure mounted on them by the security operatives, they abandoned their nefarious mission and ran into forest.

“Thorough combing of the forest over several hours by the crack operatives succeeded in the rescue of a large number of victims totalling Seventy Six (76) comprising male and females of different ages.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims, who were passengers on the truck were traveling from Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State en-route to different destinations when they were intercepted by the marauders.”

Jalige also disclosed that security operatives were still on operation within the general area in search of the main truck driver and two other passengers, who are yet to be accounted for.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Yekini Ayoku noted that the important breakthrough was actualized through a strong inter-service coordination and collaboration emplaced in the State.

He assured that this will continue to be strengthened between and among all the agencies to extricate the public space from the enemies.

NIMASA: Nigeria Vital To Global Economy, Says IMO Boss

By
James Orji
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The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, His Excellency Kitack Lim has declared Nigeria is a vital part of the global economy.

The IMO boss stated this on arrival in the country at the reception hosted in his honor by stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry.

ILim said, “This is my first time in Nigeria. I thank the Honorable Minister of Transportation, Engineer Jaji Sambo and his team from the Ministry for inviting me. I also want to thank the Director General of, NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh and other industry stakeholders.

“As far as I am concerned, Nigeria is one of the most important countries not only for Africa but in the global economy. The country is blessed with huge potentials, huge natural resources, and above all very nice people. I have had pleasant experience from my interactions with Nigerians at the IMO, and I am excited to be here”.

He said his country South Korea considers Nigeria a dreamland and expresses hope for more cooperation between both countries

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo , Permanent Secretary Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Heads of Agencies under the Ministry, and stakeholders from the Nigerian maritime industry were on hand to meet the IMO Secretary General.

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, Ship Management Limited is among the industry stakeholders partnering NIMASA in the scheduled Deep Blue Project operational engagement session as part of the activities of the IMO Sec Gen visit to Nigeria.

Lim is also expected to have a firsthand experience of some operational activities in NIMASA which is the focal Agency of Nigeria’s liaison with the IMO under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

Insecurity: Troops Capture 50 Boko Haram Fighters, Commanders

By
James Orji
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0

The fight against terrorism in Nigeria’s Northeast is paying off.

Boko Haram terrorists are giving up their fratricidal struggle against the Nigerian state, according to close security sources who said the decision of the armed forces to step up the battles against the insurgents is producing good results.

The Chief of Defense staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor has not relented in his warning to the terrorists to surrender to security forces or be routed in their hideout.

Not a few of the terrorists have surrendered in the last few months. More are still leaving their hideout in the forest to security forces.

According to security a analyst  Zgazola Makama, no fewer than 50 terrorists have surrendered to troops in Borno state in the last few days.

Those that abandoned their arms, he said, include two commanders of the deadly Islamic sect,  Ba’a Usman (Munzir) and Alhaji Ari (Nakib), have surrendered to troops of the Operation Hadin Kai in Damboa on November 20.

In September this year, the federal government announced that close to 2000 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters alongside their families surrendered to security forces.

The government had earlier claimed in March that 7000 terrorists gave up their weapons in exchange to live a normal life.

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