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Rivers crisis: Call Wike to order, Ijaw National Congress urges Tinubu
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide has called onPresident Bola Tinubu to call the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to order over lingering crises in Rivers.
President, INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
Wike and Gov. Siminialayi Fubara are at loggerheads over the control of political machinery in the oil-rich state.
Okaba said INC was concerned that if left unchecked the political crisis could affect other parts of the country.
‘’Mr President, sir, as the father of the nation, the alter ego of Nigeria, we are fervently appealing to you to call the FCT Minister to order.
“This is for the sake of peace and security in Nigeria. Stop this drift towards national disintegration and anarchy now’’, he said.
Okaba alleged that Wike’s power tussle with Fubara might not be unconnected with the minister’s desire to enhance Tinubu’s electoral fortunes in the next general polls.
‘’We understand the dictates of politics and the need to harvest Rivers votes for the President’s second tenure elections.
“What we misunderstand is the thought that only the FCT minister can assist the President to win Rivers’’, Okoba said.
He said Fubara had been faithful to Tinubu’s 8-point directive to both parties during the conflict resolution meeting held in Abuja.
‘’In October 2023 you called stakeholders to a meeting and tabled an 8-point directive to all parties involved to return peace to Rivers.
‘’Whereas many of our people considered your 8-Point directive as manifestly slanted against the governor’s interest and in favour of the FCT minister, the governor acceded to it,’’ he said.
Okaba said that while governor acted in good faith with respect to the directive, the minister acted otherwise by refusing to withdraw the court cases instituted by him.
He added that less than three weeks after the Presidential directives, Martins Amaewhule led 25 members the Rivers House of Assembly to defect to the opposition All People’s Congress.
On the just-held local government election in the state, Okaba said that Fubara obeyed Supreme Court order that Local Government Areas in Nigeria must be administered by elected officers, without which funds must be withheld.
He said Fubara worked assiduous to actualise the return of elected officers to the local government areas in accordance with Tinubu’s desires and backed by the Supreme Court judgement.
He also said that Fubara holds permanent olive branches, sending constant peace emissaries to the FCT minister.
‘’So again we appeal to Mr President to call the FCT minister to order as a stitch in time, they say saves nine,’’ he said.(NAN)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday quizzed the immediate-past Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, for her alleged roles in the misappropriation, violation of procurement process and diversion of public funds of ₦138.4m in the course of disbursing the 2023 budgeted funds for the Ministry.
According to authoritative sources, the ex-minister arrived at the Commission’s headquarters around 11am on Thursday and faced interrogators on her alleged involvement in the fraud.
The sources claimed that investigations by the EFCC showed that funds donated for the funding of P- Bat Cares for Women Initiative were diverted for her self-enrichment.
She reportedly has not been admitted to administrative bail, as the sources added that investigations are still ongoing.
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye was one of the ministers President Bola Tinubu relieved of their duties in October 2024.
She was appointed as the Minister of Women Affairs by Tinubu on August 21, 2023.
A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of an Independent Authority for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties in Nigeria has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill seeks to establish a dispute tribunal and regulate the funding of political parties as well as utilisation of the funds.
The bill, which was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and another lawmaker, Marcus Onobun, further seeks to ensure transparency and a stable democracy.
At the moment, there are 19 registered political parties in Nigeria. The roles to be performed by the new independent authority are currently the responsibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The independence and neutrality of INEC have been questioned by many including former President Goodluck Jonathan and former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, who decried the influence of political interference on the appointments of electoral commissioners.
“The electoral commission must be fully independent and we must have credible people. Political leaders who are so domineering and over-pressuring you (INEC staffers) to do what is wrong should resign and leave,” Jonathan said at a Yiaga event recently.
Similarly, Jega said, “There is political interference in the appointment or removal of electoral commissioners and other election officials.”
Bishop Isaac Idahosa, the 2023 Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), also lamented that nobody puts INEC in check.
Meanwhile, INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu has been pushing for the creation of an electoral offence tribunal.
“A major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound as is the case with post-election offences through the tribunals. Furthermore, they are solely prosecuted by the Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged offences are committed.
“No priority attention is given to such cases as the courts deal with a variety of other cases. Consequently, electoral offences are carried over from one General Election to another which may sometimes affect the diligent prosecution of the cases.
“It is therefore imperative to renew our call for the creation of the Electoral Offences Tribunal that has a specific jurisdiction and limited timeframe for the speedy dispensation of cases,” he said.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to remain committed to fostering a strong working relationship between the National Assembly and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement released on Monday, NANS President-elect Comrade Oladoja Olushola emphasized the importance of synergy between the two arms of government in delivering democratic dividends to Nigerians.
“Leadership is often tested by storms, but true leaders rise above turbulence to achieve remarkable progress,” Olushola said.
The student body expressed concerns over the current political climate in the Senate, warning that it could undermine good governance and disrupt effective collaboration between the legislature and other arms of government.
“As Nigerian students, we will not stand idly by while the integrity of our political institutions is eroded,” Olushola stated.
“We call for calm, restraint, and a renewed commitment to peace-building for national progress and the well-being of all Nigerians.”
While reaffirming its confidence in the leadership of the 10th Senate under Akpabio, NANS stressed the need to uphold accountability and maintain the integrity of the legislative process.
Addressing the ongoing controversy in the Senate, the student body urged all lawmakers to adhere strictly to legislative rules and avoid actions that could destabilize governance.
“It is crucial that we maintain a high standard of accountability to uphold public trust and confidence in our government,” Olushola said.
Given the ongoing legal proceedings concerning the matter, NANS advised all parties involved to exercise caution and refrain from making statements that could inflame tensions.
The association further recommended that disciplinary action be taken against any senator found guilty of misconduct after a court verdict, warning that continued unrest could escalate political tensions and deepen national divisions.
“If these tensions persist, they risk further heating up the political landscape, triggering unintended negative consequences for both the Senate and the country,” Olushola said .