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Wike Fears Integration, Calls Nationalists To Save Nigeria
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has called on true nationalists who believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria to rise and work together to rescue the country from disintegration.
The governor made the call when he hosted members of the South -South Zonal Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Governor Wike said it is obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal government has not only lost capacity to solve the protracted insecurity problem plaguing the country, but do not have any iota of empathy for Nigerians and do not care whether they are dying.
“APC Governors have come out to say the present APC federal government will solve the security problems. But every day people are dying. When will they solve the problems?
“Own up and say to Nigerians ,we have failed on the promises that we made to you. And honourably say, as it is done in other advanced countries, that since we cannot perform and carry out the covenant we have with Nigerians, we have decided to quit.
“Every reasonable Nigerian, every nationalist who believes in this country should come up and make sure this country moves forward, if not it is going to affect everybody.”
Governor Wike noted that since Nigeria is not a place where honour and integrity guide the conduct of public officer holders, the APC federal government will not own up to their failings in handling of issues of insecurity.
He enjoined Nigerians to also brace up and do not resign fate to crying but resolve to use their PVC to vote out the APC at the appropriate time.
According to him, if Nigeria is a nation where honour and integrity are valued, the present APC led federal government which does not care even if dead bodies are littering on all the roads in the country , will honourably quit power.
The governor recalled watching Senator Smart Adeyemi recently crying on the floor of the National Assembly over the spate of insecurity in the country. He declared that instead of crying, the lawmaker and his colleagues should take the necessary action to arrest the situation.
Speaking further, Governor Wike said despite the peculiarity of the different people in the South-South, there is need for the people to see themselves as one and make it difficult for outsiders from the zone to infiltrate the region.
The governor, who congratulated the delegation for emerging as new executive members of PDP South-South Zone, said no other geopolitical zone in the country is dominated by a single party except the South-South.
“This is the only zone you have one party controlling the entire zone. So, it is a plus for us. This is because our people believe in us, and they believe in our party and that is why they have made sure that PDP wins every election that comes in the zone.
“I’m quite happy in what is happening in our zone in terms of development. Yes, things are not too good in Nigeria, but we have never relented. It is in tough situation you must make a difference.”
PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih said they came to thank Governor Wike for hosting the last zonal congress of the party where they were elected.
He noted that under the APC led Federal government, that Nigerians are no longer safe. According to him, farmers in the South-South live in fear of marauding herdsmen.
“I must report to you that in the South-South most of our people cannot go to farms. If our people cannot access their farms, it is a clear signal of the impending food crisis we are going to face in this nation.
“Looking at the country today, different areas are advocating for a conference where we can sit down and address the problems we are facing. The Yorubas have formed the group called the Amotekun to protect their people. The Igbos has done the same. Today, I feel the South South should come together to take steps to protect our people.”
Orbih commended Governor Wike for the several measures he had taken to safeguard life and property of all residents in the state.
He declared that Governor Wike’s achievements will continue to serve as a benchmark for good governance in Nigeria.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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