News

Rivers Lawmaker Questions Governor Fubara’s Role in Recent LG Elections

Published

4 months ago

October 9, 2024

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Solomon Bob, has raised concerns about Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s involvement in the Rivers State Electoral Commission.

Rep. Bob alleged that Governor Fubara declared himself as the Chairman of the Commission, bringing about doubt on the credibility of the recently held local government elections in the state.

Bob noted that there were several irregularities in the election process. He pointed out that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) hurried to announce the election results at the government house instead of their official office.

The lawmaker highlighted the importance of following legal procedures, stating that a notice should be sent out 90 days in advance to invite participation in the elections.

According to him, the lack of proper campaigning and notifications to other parties made the election process questionable and embarrassing.

In an interview with Channels TV at 19:10, Bob stated: “You have to send a notice 90 days earlier to say everybody should come and participate in the election. If you don’t do that, then you haven’t really prepared for the election, so what’s the point of the election? You don’t wake up after ambushing people and say you want to have an election. There’s no campaign, and there are no notices to other parties. You wake up one day, distribute forms to a few of your colleagues, and then you have an election.

“Then, the RSIEC rushes to somewhere in the government house and announces the result. It was an embarrassment. It doesn’t matter who would have won; the point is to follow the due process by law. It doesn’t matter if he had won with whatever party he chose to run with. I saw Governor Siminalayi Fubara on TV saying he is the Chairman of the Commission. He funds it, and then you saw him invade the commission area with his men before he moved them to the government house. Where was the result of this election announced? Was it at the RSIEC office? It wasn’t. So, let’s be factual when dealing with Rivers state matters.”

Bob therefore called for transparency and adherence to legal standards to ensure fair and credible elections in Rivers State.

News

FG endorses Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic

Published

18 minutes ago

January 22, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The federal government has endorsed the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

The decision was part of the government’s drive to ensure that every state in the country had at least one federal polytechnic.

The approval of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic was conveyed in a letter dated January 9, 2025, by the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

It was addressed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The FCT Minister’s office confirmed receipt of the letter on January 16, 2025.

In the correspondence, Dr. Alausa urged Wike to identify suitable locations in Gwarinpa for both temporary and permanent sites of the polytechnic.

A joint team from the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education have been listed to inspect the proposed locations before finalizing the site selection.

The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic is expected to boost technological education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship development, aligning with the government’s commitment to enhancing technical skills and economic empowerment across Nigeria. [With GWG report]

News

NNPC Ltd says vandals responsible for Buguma wellhead fire

Published

20 minutes ago

January 22, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) reports that the fire incident at its Buguma Wellhead 008, operated by its subsidiary, NNPC Eighteen Operating Ltd (NEOL), was directly caused by the activities of pipeline vandals attempting to compromise the Christmas Tree and steal crude oil.

This unfortunate act of sabotage, which also resulted in severe damage to the well’s back pressure valve, reflects a disturbing pattern of repeated attacks on wellheads in the zone. Since March 2023, crude oil theft on this asset has been persistent, with criminals now resorting to extreme measures, including the use of dynamite to destroy installations and illegally access hydrocarbons.

NNPC Ltd remains committed to combating these fires and mitigating the financial losses associated with these criminal activities, which place a significant burden on the nation’s economy. The company is working closely with relevant security agencies to put an end to these acts of vandalism.

Additionally, NNPC Ltd reaffirms its commitment to supporting communities affected by these destructive activities and will continue to provide necessary relief efforts to mitigate the impact on those affected.

Olufemi O. Soneye
Chief Corporate Communications Officer
NNPC Ltd.
Abuja

20th January, 2025

News

Nigeria Commiserates With Republic Of Turkiye Over Kartalkaya Ski Resort Hotel Fire Incident

Published

2 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has commiserated with the Government and People of the Republic of Turkiye over the unfortunate fire incident at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort.

This was contained in a statement by the

Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Monday in Abuja.

The statement reads in part: “The Federal Government of Nigeria sympathizes with the Government of the Republic of Turkiye and the families of the victims of the fire incident, and also wishes a speedy recovery of the injured”.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that the fire, which claimed the lives of 66 persons and injured over 50 others in Bolu Province in Northwestern Turkiye, was reported to have started in the early hours of Tuesday 21st January 2025.