Month: July 2024

The Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo has declared that the State Assembly is appealing the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on the jurisdiction of Rivers State High Court to hear the matter on suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, describing it as a miscarriage of justice.

Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo made this known on Friday at the sitting of the Assembly in Port Harcourt, saying that the House has directed its legal team to urgently proceed to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling by the Appeal Court.

He averred that contrary to speculations the Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule & 24 others did not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress neither did the Appeal Court also declare them as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The Speaker emphasised that there cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State or in any State in Nigeria, adding that Amaewhule and his team in spite of all their pretences are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in line with the earlier declaration by the Rt. Hon. Ehie Edison which has not been vacated by any Court of competent jurisdiction.

“Once again, we, the legitimate Members of the RSHA hereby call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to promptly conduct a Bye Election to fill the vacant seats in the RSHA.”

“We strongly urge the general public to ignore Martin Amaewhule & 24 others in their pretence that they are members of the RSHA”

Two bills, the Rivers State Transport Company Reform Bill 2024 and Rivers State Emergency Management Bill 2024 passed the first reading of the State House of Assembly.

The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has dissolved all committees and thanked his colleagues for their support during their first year in office.

Rt Hon Ayambem announced this during an emergency plenary on Thursday at the Assembly Complex in Calabar. He stated that the Legislators gave him the necessary cooperation, which contributed to the 10th Assembly’s success over the last year.

Elvert Ayambem also prayed for greater cooperation and support so that the House could accomplish its objectives and thanked the Almighty God for sparing the lives of all Assembly members and staff.

“I appreciate your attendance in the plenary today, even with the short notice, in order to provide the necessary support. We have completed our first year in office, and for that, I am also grateful to God. Whatever has happened is behind us; as a team, we must move forward and strive to make our citizens’ lives better. “Personal interest yields to the interest of the House.” He said.

All House committees were dissolved, with the exception of the Committee on Lands, which is still working on a project, according to the Speaker. The Speaker made reference to the ongoing renovations taking place at the Assembly Complex, pledging to improve the aesthetics of the building, create a conducive atmosphere, and modify the power supply to ensure the comfort and productivity of the Members.

He expressed confidence that the past glory of the State will be restored and praised Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu for the outstanding accomplishments in his first year in office.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary election, which produced Asue Ighodalo as its governorship candidate, has been declared invalid by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The primary election held on February 22, 2024, was void because 378 delegates who were supposed to vote were unlawfully excluded by the PDP.

Justice Ekwo declared the primary election null and void while ruling on a lawsuit filed by the aggrieved delegates.
Kelvin Mohammed filed the lawsuit as a representative.

Justice Ekwo ruled that the primary election held at Benin’s Samuel Ogbemudia stadium violated both the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Guidelines.

Stay tuned for more updates.

The Chairman of the GFO Orim Foundation, Chief Hon (Dr) Martin Orim, has thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing him as Member of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano State, promising to give his best upon inauguration into office.

Chief Martin Orim made this known in a statement posted on his official Facebook page shortly after receiving his appointment letter, which was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen George Akume, fnim, CON, on Wednesday in Abuja.

“With profound gratitude, I thank the President and Commander of the Nigerian Armed Forces, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for appointing me as Member of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano State.”

“My deepest gratitude goes to our People’s First Governor, His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, for recommending me to serve in President Tinubu’s government.”

“I assure you of my unwavering commitment to supporting your administration’s policies and programmes, as well as doing my best to serve the interests of ordinary Nigerians and effectively carrying out my responsibilities to uphold the principles of good governance.”

“Once again, thank you. My gratitude knows no bounds.’

The Cross River State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Justin Beshel, on Tuesday attended the 9th edition of the Nigeria-EU Business Forum in Abuja, where the European Union (EU) unveiled a digital platform to boost investment in Nigeria’s agribusiness sector.

During the event, the Deputy Director General, Directorate of International Partnerships (INTPA), European Commission, Ms Ferran, stated that the platform’s goal is to increase private investments in the country’s agribusiness sector, and the EU-Nigeria Agribusiness Platform will help to boost the exploration and exploitation of agribusiness opportunities between Nigeria and the EU.

The 2024 Edition, titled “Investing in Jobs and a Sustainable Future,” aimed to engage President Tinubu’s new administration in transparent and inclusive investment in the digital, health, finance, and agribusiness sectors, to foster confidence and commitment to a stronger and more sustainable partnership.

The award-winning Commissioner, Dr Justin Beshel, and other top stakeholders in the Science, Technology, and Innovation industry, including the Honourable Minister for Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, attended the event with enthusiasm and contributed his quota, which is one of Otu’s administration’s priorities: promoting science, technology, and innovation in the state.

By Denis Inakefe (ANIPR)

The University of Calabar Senate has approved the unbundling of the Department of Mass Communication into six distinct departments.

The landmark decision was made during the 242nd Senate meeting at the University of Calabar, held on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Calabar.

The Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Lawrence Ekwok, who played a pivotal role in this restructuring process, selected six highly qualified individuals to serve as programme coordinators for the newly created departments.

The appointed coordinators are as follows: Dr Mrs Edemekong Ekpe for advertising, Dr Ebituru Iwowari Pepple for broadcasting, Dr Stanislaus Iyorza for development communication, Dr Ukam Ivi Ngwu for journalism and media studies, Dr Patrick Ene Okon for public relations, and Dr Presly Obukoadata for strategic communication.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has set the date for local government elections to October 5, 2024. This announcement was made on Monday during a stakeholder meeting at the RSIEC premises in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

The announcement follows the recent appointment of caretaker committee chairmen by Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the 23 local government areas of the state. These appointments were made after the tenure of the former council chairmen expired on July 17, 2024.

The appointments have sparked a crisis, as former council chairmen loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike have refused to vacate their positions. They argue that Law No. 2, enacted by the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, extended their tenure by six months.
As the legal dispute awaits a final judgment in the Federal High Court, the Nigerian Police have taken control of all 23 local government secretariats to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Following the announcement, Rivers State joined the league of five states put of six in the south-south geopolitical zone that have held and are gearing up for local government elections.

Governor Bassey Out of Cross River State has pledged his commitment to supporting the successful execution of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project as it portends great economic benefits for the state as well as the southern and north-central regions of Nigeria.

The Governor spoke, Sunday at Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, where the Federal Ministry for Works convened a stakeholders engagement on the proposed alignment for sections 3A and design for about 97km Spur of the same road with a segment from Cross River State to South-east and North Central part of Nigeria.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon Peter Odey, at the stakeholder’s engagement, the Governor said his administration’s maximum cooperation and support towards the realisation of this crucial infrastructure development is inevitable, adding that the importance of good road network to the economic development of the state, region and nation at large cannot be overemphasized.

He directed the state Commissioner for Works to engage with the team from the Federal Ministry of Works and to ensure that nothing inhibits the smooth execution of the project, which is scheduled to begin in Calabar axis, in August this year.

He also assured the minister of works that the state government had secured the needed State Executive Council approval to pay compensation to ease the right of way for the contractors handling the Odukpani–Itu federal highway.

Speaking on the Lagos – Calabar coastal highway project, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, described the Project as a significant initiative of President Bola Tinubu, aimed at enhancing connectivity and promoting economic growth along the coastal regions of Nigeria. “Once completed, the highway is expected to facilitate smoother transportation of goods and people, boost trade activities, and spur regional development,” he enthused.

He said the project is one of Mr. President’s legacies that would out-live his Administration and many others to come.

He disclosed that by the directives of President Tinubu, his ministry will be prioritising the completion of ongoing projects in the country in the 2025 budget rather than putting up new projects.

He explained that the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway has section 3A, about 38km, joining from the Akwa Ibom axis through Cross River State.

He added that there will be a spur of the same coastal highway, about 92km in Cross River State, making it a total of 130km to be constructed within Cross River State.

According to the Minister of Works, the 92km spur in Cross River State will cross Enugu State, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Abuja and Lagos states.

The Minister frowned at the poor handling of the existing contract of Odukpani-Itu federal road, directing that the first warning will be issued to contractors to return to the site or risk revocation of their contracts.

Many stakeholders across different strata, including national assembly members, public servants, traditional leaders, professional groups, social and religious leaders in Cross River State, attended the interactive engagement on the federal road project.