The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has weighed in on the crisis rocking Rivers State amid the plot to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara....Click Here To Continue Reading>>
The relationship between Wike and Fubara is said to have gone bad following the threat by the Assembly to impeach the governor, with many accusing Wike of being the brain behind the impeachment plot.
Also, the Rivers Assembly Complex was gutted by fire on Sunday night ahead of a planned vote to oust the sitting governor.
There was also some drama on Monday morning with the removal of principal officers in the Assembly as gunshots rented the air.
Then, in a twist, Fubara stormed the Assembly Complex on Monday to see the level of the damage and alleged that he was shot at by the police.
Receiving South-South leaders at his office on Tuesday, October 31, Wike emphasized the importance of holding his base to maintain his political relevance.
He maintained that once he loses his base as a politician, he has lost his relevance politically.
“All of us want to be politically relevant; all of us want to maintain our political structure,” the minister said.
“Is it not your political structure? Will you allow anybody to just cut you out immediately? Everybody has a base. If you take my base, am I not politically irrelevant?”
“In politics, there are a lot of internal wranglings,” he said.
“But to come out and say ‘Oh they want to do this against me, it will not work.’ I had every power then to say where this thing is going. So, when things are wrong, you ask questions. It is a party affair. The party knows how they resolve their own mechanism, it is not an ethnic affair.
“Our party is coming to it, that is what I will say. Every politician has his own interest,” the former governor added.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the reported over-bloated delegation led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai. In a statement released by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku criticized the size and nature of the delegation, suggesting that Tinubu lacked an understanding of the severity of Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Atiku questioned the rationale behind converting a climate change conference into what he described as a “jamboree, all-comers, and ‘owambe’ party” with over 1,400 delegates. He characterized the situation as ridiculous and indicative of a governance approach lacking awareness and responsibility.
The statement highlighted the pressing economic hardships faced by Nigeria, emphasizing the need for leaders to align their actions with the available resources. Atiku criticized the use of borrowed funds for what he termed a “street party” held outside the country, calling attention to the disparity between the purpose of COP
During a media briefing with journalists on Friday night, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State disclosed plans to increase the salaries of state workers on the economic realities of the state. He revealed that he is working with stakeholders to enhance the minimum wage and will soon announce a comprehensive package to this effect....Click Here To Continue Reading>>
The governor explained that the need to adjust the minimum wage was prompted by recent exchange rate convergence, the removal of fuel subsidies, and the increasing inflation rate, which is currently at about 30%.
“We understand that times are tough for many people,” Otti said. “As such, we are working with stakeholders to find ways to improve the remuneration of civil servants in line with the current economic realities.”
Otti addressed allegations that his government had exaggerated food expenses, calling them unfounded and the work of hatchet men.
“That is not true. It is the work of hatchet men,” said Otti. “The truth is that we are very prudent in how we manage funds.”
On the issue of Modern Ceramics Umuahia, the Governor said that preliminary work did not support bringing the industry back to its current location and that they are considering moving it closer to the source of raw materials.
“We are studying and revalidating them. We do not want any industry to collapse,” he added.
Otti also addressed concerns about the higher number of opposition party members at the state House of Assembly, saying that he does not foresee any problems with them as they are there for oversight and to support the government.
The governor reiterated his commitment to paying pension arrears in the state and ensuring that recently retired permanent secretaries and directors receive their arrears of salaries and gratuities.
“We are already working towards improving remuneration, not just for the minimum wage but also across the board,” Otti said. “We will make an announcement to that effect in due course.”
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has stated that the millions of supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state will determine the fate of his deputy, Philip Shaibu, who recently declared his intention to run for the governorship seat....Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Obaseki made this known in an interview with journalists after a meeting with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, at the Ramat House on Thursday.
He said their discussion centered on issues relating to the PDP Governors’ Forum, including the party’s upcoming governorship election in Edo State.
“We also discussed many other issues relating to our party as a whole and the state of the country. And as you know, things are not as we want them to be. We will keep rubbing minds to see how we can support the administration and save this country by reducing the suffering of Nigerians,” he said.
About his relationship with his deputy, Obaseki said, “The relationship as you know, has been cordial. He (Philip) wants to run for the office I currently occupy and he is free to. I think as a Nigerian, he has the constitutional right to run, nobody can or should stop him.
“The party will decide and also members of the party will decide who will be the flag bearer of the party in the forthcoming governorship election.”
Asked if he would support his deputy’s gubernatorial bid, Obaseki said his vote alone would not determine Shaibu’s fate. “I’m only one out of millions of our party members in Edo state,” he said.
The PDP governor also discussed the state of the nation, expressing concern over the rising cost of food items and the suffering of Nigerians.
According to Obaseki, “Things are very difficult as we know at this point in time. Nigerians are suffering, and the suffering is unprecedented.
“But I think, we should stop lamenting and think of what to do as leaders to confront the issues we are facing to reduce the sufferings of our people and put more food on their tables.
“The year is coming to an end and the prices of food items are going up and what can we, as PDP governors do to ameliorate the sufferings of our people. These are some of the things we talked about while preserving the unity of this country.”
