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Youth Group Opposes Rivers’ N200B Ring Road Project
The South South Youth Initiative (SSYI), has kicked against the planned N200 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road project, to be executed by the state government.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, had on Friday, signed the state N200 billion supplementary budget, tagged: “Rivers State Supplementary Appropriation Law No. 4 of 2023”, which was passed by the State House of Assembly on Thursday into law.
Fubara said with the development, his administration is poised to begin construction work on the proposed Port Harcourt Ring Road project that will connect communities across several local government areas.
The governor announced that he will soon sign the contract papers and eventually flag-off the Port Harcourt Ring Road as a legacy project of his administration.
But, SSYI in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday by it’s president, Imeade Saviour Oscar, wondered why Fubara will concentrate the project in Port Harcourt metropolis where his predecessor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, carried out all his acclaimed developmental projects.
The statement reads in part: “The leaders and members of South South Youths Initiative (SSYI) are in deep worry over the N200 billion approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly for Governor Siminialaye Fubara to construct new projects in Port Harcourt including, a ring road in Port Harcourt.
“We hear that Governor Fubara has conceived the ring-road project to be sited in Port Harcourt the same place the former administration, his benefactor, carried out all his acclaimed developmental projects.
“While we condemn the move to resume a visionless leadership in the state, ignited by the immediate past administration of Chief Nyesom Wike, we urge Governor Fubara to think of spreading development to all the other 21 local government areas of the state.
“What has stood Lagos State out among other states of the nation is simply that development is equitably spread among its local government areas. This has ensured due development on all sides. Go to Lagos State today you will observe that every nook and cranny of lagos state has turned into city.
“One act that has placed Rivers State below the mark of competing with Lagos State is that leaders of our dear Rivers State have concentrated development just within Port Harcourt, leaving all other local government areas in depraved situation.
“They have also deliberately abandoned the three satellite cities, Abonnema, Bori, Omoku, put in place by nature and founding fathers of this state to give attention to only Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor.
“It is regrettable that our leaders have failed to spread meaningful projects out of Port Harcourt, and even more shameful that Fubara who should make a difference in this area has resumed this same error of concentrating projects in Port Harcourt only.
“No nation or state can make boost of development when only its city has light while rural communities with vibrant towns still live in squalors.
“Although, we are not surprised that Fubara would do everything to please his political godfather who compromised the INEC and the police to install him as governor. But we thought that as an intellectual he would have be judicious in his judgement.
“The previous administration concentrated its projects in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas, we are surprised to observe that the newly installed government in Rivers State has resumed the ideology of concentrating its projects in the same two local government areas.
“Are the other 21 local government areas not part of the state. We believe that the state does not deserve to be punished by its leaders, who have overtime derailed the vision of the founding fathers of our dear state.
“However, we believe that for there to be jobs in the state that development should be spread out to other local government.
“The said N200 billion can change the fortune of other smaller cities in the state that will attract investors into the state, Port Harcourt is already congested and we should be thinking of how to decongest port Harcourt city.”
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.