NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
House of Representatives at plenary
Politics

Emergency rule: Reps inaugurates 21-member ad-hoc committee to oversee Rivers govt.

86 total views today

Committee

By Ikenna Osuoha
The House of Representatives on Tuesday inaugurated a 21-member ad-hoc committee to oversee the caretaker government in Rivers during the state of emergency.

Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, said that the inauguration of the committee was in line with Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

While reaffirming the National Assembly’s commitment to transparent governance in Nigeria, Abbas urged the committee to be non-partisan and impartial.

“Today’s inauguration of the 21-member ad-hoc committee on Rivers State reaffirms our constitutional commitment to transparent governance.

“Empowered by Section 5 of the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation 2025 and pursuant to Section 11(4) of our Constitution, this committee has a clear and non-partisan mandate,” he said.

According to him, the committee is to monitor the implementation of federal directives and policies in Rivers, ensuring that the caretaker administration adhered to the law.

The speaker said that the sensitivity and gravity of the assignment could not be over-emphasised, describing it as a litmus test for the committee members’ commitment to democratic principles and constitutional governance.

“The importance of the assignment places a considerable burden on the chairman and all members, as every action taken will be subject to national scrutiny,” he said.

Abbas urged the committee members to conduct their oversight with highest level of impartiality and monitor every aspect of the caretaker administration in strict accordance with the constitution.

“Beyond mere oversight, your work must actively support efforts to restore lasting peace and re-establish a fully functioning democratic system in Rivers State.

“You are called upon to interface with federal agencies, security institutions, and any reconciliation initiatives that may be established, fostering trust among all stakeholders in the process,” he said.

The speaker emphasised that the national assembly’s intervention in Rivers was not an instrument of political vendetta but a constitutional necessity.

He explained that it was the collective duty of the legislature to safeguard peace, security and rule of law in the state.

Abbas said any time that any state house of assembly was unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that state, the national assembly could make laws for the peace, order and good government in such state.

While commending President Bola Tinubu for rising to the occasion in Rivers, in accordance with section 305 of the constitution, he said it was a display of responsible leadership.

The speaker charged the Sole Administrator, Retired Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to be highly transparent in the discharge of his duties, saying that his government is temporary.

Responding, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, thanked the speaker for rising to the occasion.

Ihonvbere, a professor and House Majority Leader, promised not to fail the national assembly and Nigerians at large in the discharge of their mandate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the committee include: Ali Isa, Deputy Chairman, Isiaka Ibrahim, Idris Wase, Aliyu Betara, Sada Soli, James Faleke, Igariwey Enwo, Shehu Rijau and Wole Oke.

Others are: Akarachi Amadi, Patrick Umoh, James Barka, Alex Egbona, Isa Anka, Amos Daniel, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, Onuh Onyeche, Fatima Talba, Chris Nkwonta and bibake Enenimiete. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq

General News

Emergency rule: Tinubu acted in national interest- TDF

156 total views today

 

The Democratic Front (TDF) has joined other patriotic groups and notable Nigerians to defend President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.

 

This is contained in a statement by its Chairman, Malam Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, on Wednesday in Abuja.

 

The TDF described it as a bold move to prevent a total breakdown of law and order following protracted political rancour between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.

 

“We recall that less than a week before the presidential proclamation, the President hosted the leadership of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Abuja where he advised on quick implementation of the Supreme Court Judgement that recognized the 27 members of the State Assembly.

 

“Subsequently, The Democratic Front issued a statement after the event on the need to heed President Tinubu’s advice in obeying the Supreme Court Judgement, and also explore the window of reconciliation which was initiated by the President over a year ago.

 

“Unfortunately, PANDEF was not able to strike any reasonable compromise with the parties in the dispute, which has paralyzed the administration of the state with severe consequences on economic development in nearly two years.

 

“It was evident that both parties in the political dispute were not prepared to work together in the interest of the state.

 

“In our view, no responsible President or government will stay passive and watch the rapid degeneration of state affairs from an orderly democratic system anchored on the principle of the Rule of Law to condone lawlessness and look away from the theatre of a contrived balance of terror, as evident in the bombing of pipelines.

 

“We also welcome the unanimous approval of the State of Emergency by both chambers of the National Assembly, because we believe that President Tinubu acted in the interest of peace and security of residents of the state.”

 

TDF urge all the parties in the conflict to see the six months of the emergency rule as another opportunity to seek a peaceful end to their differences.(NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

General News

Tinubu right on Rivers state of emergency- TMSG

216 total views today

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has said that President Bola Tinubu has a major responsibility to forestall further chaos and anarchy in Rivers State by proclaiming a state of emergency.

The group argued that intelligence at the President’s exclusive disposal was sufficient justification for his decision to declare a state of emergency and also suspend democratic institutions there for six months.

This, according to TMSG, is a fallout of the reluctance of the two parties in the political crisis to work together despite a presidential intervention and a recent Supreme Court ruling.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG argued that the President was left with no choice but to constitutionally intervene and restore security, stability and order in the state.

It said: “Our position on President Bola Tinubu’s decision to impose a state of emergency and suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the House of Assembly is simple. The president acted proactively to defuse an already charged situation.

“This follows the hard-line positions and reluctance of both parties in the political crisis in Rivers state to heed the voice of reason and act to return the state to peaceful governance in the aftermath of the recent Supreme Court ruling.

“We note that before then, President Tinubu had in December 2023 intervened by brokering a peace deal between Governor Fubara and the state legislators.

“The deal which was tabled at a meeting in Abuja attended by key political stakeholders, was to have culminated in the governor recognising and presenting the 2024 budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led assembly as well as reinstate the legislators’ remunerations and benefits while the Assembly members were to stop impeachment proceedings.

“Both sides were also to drop all pending court matters on the crisis. But to the surprise of many Nigerians, the parties stuck to their hard-line positions and failed to implement critical aspects of the peace deal.

“We were therefore surprised to see a claim by the former Rivers state Commissioner of Information that the governor implemented the President’s deal.

“So we wonder which one of the terms was implemented because the lawmakers have not had their benefits reinstated, and neither was the 2024 budget sent to them for approval.

TMSG said that even when the Supreme Court ruled on the matter, there was still a reluctance from both parties to work in harmony until the state legislators began impeachment proceedings which could have worsened the situation.

It added that the day after the impeachment notice was served, an explosion rocked the Trans-Niger Pipeline, one of Nigeria’s biggest oil pipelines, which feeds the crude export terminal at Bonny.

It said a similar incident was also recorded a few hours later in the evening at a manifold connected to a federal pipeline deep inside the forest.

“So for us, an extraordinary measure was necessary to restore governance and prevent further breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, as the President noted in his 12-minute national broadcast.

“From all indications, the President watched and waited patiently for 15 months as both parties engaged in unnecessary filibustering and reneging until the truce brokered by the president was broken.”

TMSG further argued that there was no basis for comparing the President’s action to that of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 at the height of the war against insurgency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

“We acknowledge that President Jonathan indeed declared a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa but left the governors in place. But let Nigerians not forget that it was a war situation, which is different from what we have in Rivers State.

“President Tinubu did not declare emergency rule in Rivers strictly because of security issues. He made it clear that
his decision was necessary to restore peace, order, and governance in a state that had been embroiled in political turmoil for several months on end.

“So we believe that President Tinubu deserves credit for not only declaring a state of emergency but for also suspending the two parties for six months.

“We hope that it will give both parties enough time to ruminate and evaluate their actions since December 2023 and accept mediatory efforts they had shunned previously,” it added.(NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Area of licensed block of the Bovanenkovskoye field
Economy/Business

Rivers community debunks fresh pipeline explosion

142 total views today

Explosion

By Desmond Ejibas

Residents of Bonny Local Government Area in Rivers have dismissed reports of a fresh pipeline explosion, confirming that no such incident occurred.

On Wednesday, viral reports claimed that militants had attacked two oil facilities in the area, which further heightened security concerns.

However, residents of Iloamatoru community, the purported site of the alleged explosion, refuted the claims, describing them as the work of mischief makers attempting to exploit the political crises in the state.

Chief Wari-Alabo Pollyn, Head of the Pollyn Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, stated that no explosion had taken place recently in the area.

“We are here in the community, and nothing of such happened – at least not to my knowledge,” he confirmed.

Similarly, Daniel Pollyn, a former Chairman of the Iloamatoru Security Surveillance Committee, also denied any pipeline attack in the area.

According to him, the community remains peaceful and does not tolerate violence.

“I can confirm that no such incident has occurred here.

“No flow station or oil facility is on fire or has exploded, as falsely reported,” he added.

Efforts to reach SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Police Command in Rivers, for confirmation were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls or messages. (NAN)

Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka

House of Representatives at plenary
Politics

Rivers: Tinubu seeks Reps approval on the state of emergency

207 total views today

By EricJames Ochigbo
The Spokesman for the House of Representatives, Rep. Akin Rotimi (APC-Ekitit state) says the House of Representatives will on Wednesday, debate the state of emergency declared on Rivers by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Tuesday, Rotimi said that President Bola Tinubu had officially written the house of his decision in line with section 305 of the Constitution.

“Mr. President’s formal letter, informing the House of Representatives of his decision and seeking approval in line with Section 305 of the Constitution, has been transmitted.

“It will be read during plenary tomorrow, Wednesday, March 19, and further legislative action debated and decided,” he said.

Following the lingering political unrest between the Executive and the Legislature in Rivers, Tinubu declared a state of emergency on the state on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the President suspended Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and all elected lawmakers of the State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

NAN reports that Tinubu appointed the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the Sole Administrator of Rivers while the judiciary continued its operations.

Rotimi, however,  said that the National Assembly was duly consulted before the declaration of state of emergency by the President.

He said that the leadership of the National Assembly met with the President and the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu among other security chiefs ahead of the broadcast.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maureen Atuonwu

General News

Tinubu declares state of emergency in Rivers

219 total views today

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the lingering political crisis in the state.

The President made the declaration in a national broadcast on Tuesday.

He said it had become compelling for him to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers with effect from March 18.

“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.

“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State,” Tinubu said.

He, however, said that for the avoidance of doubt, the declaration did not affect the judicial arm of the state, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.

“The Administrator will not make any new laws.

‘He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.

“This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution.

“It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State .

“It will awaken all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

 

Politics

PANDEF urges dialogue to resolve Rivers political crisis

212 total views today

By Naomi Sharang

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), a sociopolitical group, has urged stakeholders to use dialogue as a tool to resolve the political crisis in Rivers.

The group urged  Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike to put their differences behind and work for the unity of the state.

The Chairman of PANDEF’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Obong Victor Attah, at a news conference in Abuja, on Friday, said dialogue remained the best path to a lasting peace.

According to him, PANDEF has actively engaged key stakeholders in Rivers,  including Fubara and his allies in efforts to douse the tensions.

“We spent four days in Port Harcourt meeting various stakeholders. We believe peace secured through discussion is far better than one enforced by a court ruling.

“We are working to bring both sides together for meaningful dialogue,” Attah said.

Attah further said that PANDEF had reached out to Wike, a former governor of Rivers, seeking his cooperation in resolving the impasse but efforts to secure a meeting with him had so far been unsuccessful.

“We have sent letters, text messages and WhatsApp messages to the minister and his close allies urging him to meet with PANDEF.

“Our goal is to ensure peace in Rivers so the government can function smoothly,” he said.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to impress upon the key personalities involved in the Rivers crisis,  including Wike, on  the necessity of prioritising peace.

“We were firm in our resolve that an amicable resolution must be secured. Such a resolution can only be secured by negotiation, hence our setting up of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee,’’ he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of PANDEF, Godknows Igali, noted that the group had a meeting with the President where he urged the group  to sustain its mediatory efforts in the Rivers crisis.

“Regarding the situation in Rivers, PANDEF fully embraced Mr President’s directive to the organisation to sustain its ongoing mediatory and reconciliation efforts-an initiative the President commended.

“Since that meeting, PANDEF has intensified engagements with key stakeholders, fostering dialogue to achieve an amicable resolution that guarantees lasting peace and harmony in Rivers,’’ he said.

He, however, expressed sadness over Wike’s continued refusal to engage with the peace and reconciliation committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024 in spite of repeated attempts to reach him.(NAN)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Chioma Ugboma

President Bola Tinubu
Education

Tinubu approves varsity for Ogoniland

336 total views today

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu on Monday signed into law a bill establishing the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Rivers and pledged more support for the Ogoni community.

Ogoni town of Tai will host the university, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, said in a statement.

During the signing ceremony at the State House, President Tinubu said the establishment of the university would further empower Ogoni citizens and provide more opportunities for participation and development.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our national journey towards environmental justice, education and sustainable development.

“The Ogoni have been at the forefront of our development and agitation and have suffered enough environmental degradation.

“It is more than the creation of a university. It is the reaffirmation of our unwavering commitment to the people of Ogoni, the Niger Delta and the entire nation as a whole,” the president said.

Tinubu said his government was taking a decisive step towards addressing historical grievances and creating new opportunities for learning, growth and prosperity by signing the bill into law.

The president affirmed that the university would serve as a centre of excellence, equipping young Nigerians with the knowledge and skill to tackle present environmental challenges, drive clean energy solutions and contribute to our national sustainable economic development.

President Tinubu thanked the National Assembly, particularly the Senate and House of Representatives leadership, for properly considering the bill.

“Let me also commend the Ogoni delegation. Your steadfast advocacy for justice is encouraging. It will be rewarded, I assure you.

“As we look ahead, I urge all the stakeholders, traditional institutions, the academic community, the private sector, partners and all other youth to embrace this university as a beacon of knowledge, unity and progress.

“Together, we will ensure that it will not only fulfil its mandate but also stand as a catalyst for transformational development across the country,” Tinubu said.

Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, said the university would prioritise interdisciplinary programmes in environmental science, clean energy, and sustainable technology, equipping students to tackle regional and national ecological issues.

Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, said the establishment of the university would address long-standing concerns and efforts to restore Ogoniland.

Ribadu noted that Ogoniland should be prioritised for inclusive development and environmental sustainability.

Sen. Mpigi Barinada, leader of the Ogoni delegation, thanked the President for signing the bill establishing the Federal University of Environment and Technology.

He also recognised the contributions of Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister and Ribadu in facilitating the bill’s passage.

Barinada said establishing a university would serve as a beacon of hope for the Ogoni community and an encouragement to “shield the sword” and embrace peace. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Politics

Wike, 27 Rivers lawmakers not APC members – APC Chairman 

1,572 total views today

By Angela Atabo

Dr Tony Okocha, Chairman of the All Progressive Congress(APC), in Rivers,  has said that FCT minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of the APC.

He told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja that the 27 Rivers lawmakers currently in a bitter political struggle with Gov. Siminalayi Fubara were also not members of the APC.

“People say Wike has decamped to the APC. They also say that the 27 lawmakers currently fighting with Fubara have defected to the APC.

“I need to make this clear to everyone. Much as I wish to have them in my fold, none of them has agreed to join us.

“I am the one that should  know if they did. But, clearly, they have not.

“What the lawmakers did was a political gimmick.

“I tried to woo them, but they kept vacillating and did not.

“To defect, they must go to their wards, register and get their membership cards. None  of them has done that,” he said.

Okocha was particularly categorical in declaring that Wike would not leave the PDP.

“Wike will never leave the  PDP.

“He has always said that PDP made him what he is. He has always said that he would remain there.

“He is an ardent believer in PDP. He is not likely to leave that group,” Okocha said.

He, however, said that Wike is a member of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“In Rivers, I am 001 in APC, but in the Renewed Hope Agenda, I am 002. Wike is 001,” he explained.

He also spoke on Wike’s influence on Rivers’ politics

“Wike has done so much for Rivers, so he is strong.

“In the next 10 years, Wike will continue to influence the political direction in Rivers.

“It will be difficult to uproot him.

“Aside from his many projects scattered throughout the state, he has touched people’s lives directly. Such people will always be behind him,” he said.

He described Wike as a politician that could identify with every good cause irrespective of political party.

“Once the cause is good and will give him a platform to serve his people, Wike will be part of it,” Okocha said.(NAN)

Edited by Philip Yatai/Ephraims Sheyin

X
Welcome to NAN
Need help? Choose an option below and let me be your assistant.
Email SubscriptionSite SearchSend Us Email