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Biblically and even in the Holy Quaran, the two holy books and from the general experience and life expectations, a prophet is usually not honored at home.

According to Igala parlance from Kogi state, an adage says , “you don’t value what you have at home, sometimes until it is lost.”

But , God forbid for Nzenwo Nyesom Wike , the Renewed Hope Agenda, RHA and the quest for re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is sacrosanct and at the front burner of his political mobilisation.

The recent “thank you tour ” to Rivers State, his home state after the 2023 general elections that saw a new political gymnastics and direction on the part of the FCT Minister , Nzenwo Nyesom Wike CON, bringing on board another new style of politicking to Nigeria political system .

Wike who delivered 90% of Rivers people’s vote to All Progressives Congress, APC to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and produced a governor for Rivers State, all members of the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate to People’s Democratic Party PDP, a style that had not only gone down history, but now history, displaying his political prowess and popularity in the recent political firmament.

The FCT Minister who up till tomorrow is a member of People’s Democratic Party PDP, the main opposition party formed part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC cabinet with high grade deployment to the FCT.

Deservedly, the recent tour that took him and his large political followers both in Rivers and across the country to the 23 local government areas showed he is still on ground for the 2027 general elections, hence politics remained a game of numbers and local .

The twenty three local government areas of Abua Adual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West ,Akuku -Toru, Andoni, Asari- Toru, Bonny , Degema , Eleme, Amohua, Etche, Gokana, Ikwere, Khana, Obia-Akpor, Ogba-Egbema- ndoni, Ogu-Bolo, Okrika, Omuma,Opobo- Nkoro,Oyigbo, Port Harcourt City and terminated at Tai, took the Minister over two weeks to reconnect with his people politically and otherwise .

During the tour, Wike was received indiscriminately by Traditional rulers, Opinion Moulders , Stakeholders, Community leaders, Youths, Women groups , politicians, Public spirited individuals commending him for adequate representation, making the Rivers people proud for his political sight , appointments, development among many others including Federal presence.

The FCT Minister who did not mince words in supporting of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and also mobilized the people of Rivers State to re-do and replay their supports for him in 2027 general elections.

The Minister also attracted alot of commendation from traditional rulers and community leaders which included his political followers, promising not to lead him down anytime any day, politically and otherwise.

Wike who also promised to continue to reciprocate the gesture of Rivers people urged them not to be distracted by political gate crashers.

While in Rivers State, he promised to continue to attract more Federal presence in infrastructural development, appointments and many others going forward.

He stated that the confidence bestowed on him is a dedication and demonstration to the one displayed by the Rivers people during the 2023 general elections, stating that they should do more and crown it up in the next year general elections.

The Minister said Tinubu has invested heavily in the economy, agriculture, youths development, employment, technology and foreign direct investment FDI, attraction of investors beneficial to many Nigerians and Nigeria among many others.

While promising to sustain the tempo of remodeling the FCT and it’s area councils, he also reiterated his commitment to the development of River State.

His tour of Rivers State has changed the belief that a prophet can still be honored at home away from the previous assertion.

Democracy news

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The Federal Government says it will deploy solar lights and CCTV cameras to monitor its projects across the country.

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, made the disclosure at a news conference on Saturday in Enugu, after inspecting road projects in the South-Eastern part of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the projects inspected include Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, Enugu-Onitsha road, Eke-Obinagu flyover in Enugu, second Niger bridge and Asaba-Onitsha highway.

Others are Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Highway, bridges and two flyovers.

Umahi noted that the project inspection became necessary to achieve quality work as stipulated by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

“Let me say that our commitment in deploying solar light and CCTV to monitor the bridges and the surroundings are not limited to bridges.

“This is what we are going to have in all our federal highways,” he said.

The minister said the 61 kilometres of the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, which was the first section, had been fully completed.

“This is very vital. The first section from Enugu to Lokpanta is 61 kilometres. I can attest that 61 kilometres of this road from Enugu has been fully completed.

“Another three kilometres of Port Harcourt road has been fully completed. We have directed that no laid asphalt should be removed from our road again.

“We have different treatment to different roads, but don’t remove asphalt from our road. This is what we directed,” the Minister added.

(NAN)

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Rivers State lawmakers have revealed why they insisted on impeaching Governor Siminalayi Fubara his deputy Ngozi Odu.

According to Hon Looloo Opuende, who represents Akuku Toru constituency 11, said while efforts were being made by stakeholders and some members of the Assembly to seek a political solution to the ongoing political crisis in the state, Governor Fubara was allegedly working underground to induce their constituents to recall them from the Assembly.

Speaking during a press conference at the temporary Assembly complex on Aba road, Port Harcourt on Friday, Opuende alleged that “while the impeachment process was going on, the governor was busy paying our constituents to withdraw us from the Assembly. Is that the right thing to do?

“If you wanted peace, you should have called the leadership of the Assembly and discuss with them on the right way to go. Impeachment is a constitutional matter. I support and urge the speaker to reconstitute the House for the process to continue,” he said.

The lawmaker stated that those who were issuing threat messages and saying that the impeachment should not go on should find out the root cause of the problem between the executive and the legislative arms of the state government.

When contacted for confirmation that the governor had been paying some unidentified persons to recall the lawmakers, the senior special assistant to the governor on political matters, Dr. Darlington Oji simply replied, “I am not aware”.

N350m largesse

Orji had earlier in an interview alleged that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly received N350 million each for constituency projects, despite claims by some lawmakers that certain payments to them were not appropriated.

He also noted that the N100,000 Christmas welfare last December was extended to them though some of the lawmakers rejected the offer because it was not appropriated. ”They rejected it that it was not appropriated. You cannot build something on nothing.

“Now, you rejected it because N100,000 was not appropriated. Can you ask them, the N350 million that was given to each of them for their constituency project, where did it come from? Why did they not reject it since it was not appropriated?”

Four of the lawmakers who earlier called for the withdrawal of the impeachment proceedings and seek political solution to end the crisis have rescinded that position.

Hon Emilia Lucky Amadi, representing Obio/Akpor constituency 11 in a press conference on Friday said, “We had earlier opted for a political solution to the problem but the governor and the deputy governor are adamant. There are strong indications that they still want to continue with illegal actions in the state.

“We consider this a slap to the Supreme Court and we must defend the institution of the legislature.”

Also, Hon Barile Nwakoh of Khana constituency 1 alleged that the strategy of the governor and his deputy is “to continue to intimidate us into withdrawing the process while they continue with the infractions on the constitution and the law. This is very bad to our democracy. On this note, we must proceed with the process.”

Recall that on Thursday, January 8, the Assembly issued an impeachment notice on the governor and the deputy on gross misconduct bordering on extra-budgetary spending exceeding N800 billion without legislative approval, withholding statutory funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, demolition of the Assembly complex and alleged defiance of Supreme Court rulings on legislative autonomy.

During plenary on Friday, the House under the supervision of the speaker, Martins Amaewhule subjected the matter to voting on whether the governor and his deputy should be investigated and 25 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion with none against.