RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT READY TO GIVE TAX HOLIDAYS TO SERIOUS INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS SAYS GOVERNOR WIKE

In a move to attract international to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has stated that the State is willing to give tax holidays to serious  investors as incentive to invest in the State.

Speaking  at the  Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday when he granted audience to the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lulu Mnguni, Governor Wike said international investments will create employment opportunities and generate revenue in the State.

He said that the State government is particularly interested in investments in the agricultural sector as it diversifies her economy.

He also called on South  African  companies to invest in some moribund industries in the State.

He said: "We are ready to give tax holidays to attract international investors. We cannot continue to  rely on oil, that is why we are exploring the agricultural sector to generate revenue and create employment ".

Earlier,  the South African High Commissioner, Mr Lulu Mnguni called for partnership between South Africa and Rivers State in the area of Agriculture,  tourism, health and construction, saying that South Africa had the technical  expertise  and  financial capacity to develop  Rivers State.

While  commending Governor Wike for his development strides, he assured  that  several South African companies  will invest  in  the  State.

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BIAFRA: Buhari Influencing Judges To Convict Me - Nnamdi Kanu

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, says President Muhammadu Buhari is influencing the court to convict him for treasonable felony.

Kanu made this allegation through his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ejiofor said the president’s ''pronouncement'' on issues regarding Biafra was prejudicial, and that they were capable of forcing the hands of the court to convict his client.

He cited the president’s statements in Katsina, where he said that nobody could divide the country, and in his December presidential media chat, where he said that the IPOB leader should not be granted bail because he was a flight risk.

The counsel opined that Buhari was inadvertently compelling the court to do his bidding.

   ''Nnamdi Kanu is a political prisoner and this was confirmed in the presidential media chat.'' He said.

   ''The pronouncements of the president is affecting the decision of the court. We consider the pronouncements prejudicial.

   ''The president should not be making pronouncements that are indirectly influencing the decision of the judges.''

Ejiofor added that he had filed a fundamental rights suit against the federal government at the ECOWAS court on the imprisonment of Kanu.

   ''We went to ECOWAS court because we believe we will be given justice. Only ECOWAS court can give us justice.'' He said.

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Nigeria is fantastically corrupt, the only way out is Biafra - IPOB tells Buhari

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has expressed optimism that the on-going struggle for the restoration of Biafra republic must surely come to pass and when restored, would outlive the existing entity called Nigeria. 

Deputy leader of IPOB, Uche Mefor who was reacting to a statement credited to David Cameron, the British Prime Minister that "Nigeria is fantastically corrupt", stated in a press statement issued to newsmen, via e-mail, that he agreed in totality with Cameron that Nigeria, as a nation is actually too corrupt and blood shedding that the only way out is for the members to intensify efforts to restore Biafra. 

According to the statement, "We members of IPOB worldwide under leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Director of Radio Biafra accuse Nigerian leaders of hallucinating–Biafra predates you and your Nigeria, Biafra will outlive you and Nigeria". 

The statement further read in part: "Nigerians are as corrupt as those they are prosecuting. They have blood in their hands. They are ethnic bigots, unrepentant dictators, religious fundamentalists and arch genocidists. They are arch supporters of terrorism and they also have franchise in Boko Haram insurgency". 

"They circumvented the electoral laws in many occasions. They do not understand the basic tenets of democracy. They do not understand what inclusive governance/development is and as such thinks that they are ruling a particular section of the country". 

"These are men whose only mission is to annihilate their perceived enemies with air of finality. They ordered the commission of crime against humanity and an enforced disappearance of Biafran youths and refused to watch the atrocity they committed". 

"It is hypocritical in the circumstance to having admitted that they are the leader of the most 'fantastically corrupt' country. Why then is the British government inviting them? We will always be vindicated"!

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Only civil servants who have done their biometrics will receive monthly salaries - Governor Wike

Only  civil servants who have completed their biometric  screening and capture will henceforth  receive  their monthly  salaries,  Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State  has announced.

Governor  Wike  said this has become necessary  because  the  State Government  discovered that more than  one thousand  civil servants  were receiving  salaries  in different  Ministries.

Speaking  during  a  courtesy  call by the Governing Council  of  the  Kenule Besor Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori at the Government  House,  Port  Harcourt on  Thursday said it was shocking that over 50,000 civil servants take a large chunk of  the  state revenue.

He said  that he has the political  will to resolve the challenge in the interest of  the  state.

“They say we have 50 something thousand civil servants , now not up to 4 thousand, people are not coming to do biometrics, they must come. If you don’t do your biometrics, no salary. If you like put it on the pages of newspapers, ‘workers have not been paid salaries’, Am not owing you. Go and do your biometrics.”

“There are cabals in the civil service making money. I have the political will and I will stop the trend whereby government will be paying over 5billion as salaries and some people will be taking half of the money”

He urged the governing council  and  management  of  the school the dwindling  revenue  and  work within the  revenue regime.

Earlier, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Kenule Besor Saro-Wiwa Polytechnics, Bori, Chief Adokiye Amiesemika said the priority of the council is to make the institution the best in the country.

He lauded the governor for his developmental strides and solicited for government support to enable it tackle some challenges faced by the institution.

Simeon Nwakaudu,

Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.

12th May, 2016.

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GOVERNOR WIKE CONDEMNS BLOWING UP OF PIPELINES

Rivers  State  Governor,  Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has  condemned the  blowing up  of pipelines in the Niger Delta  by militants,  saying that it is  not in the interest of  the  region as it negatively  affects the revenue that accrue to the states for development.

The governor  also  revealed  that  in the next few weeks,  he will flag off the dualization  of the Saakpenwa-Bori road to serve Ogoni communities.

He said the  states of the Niger Delta will work  with  the  Federal Government  and Security  agencies  to ensure that  the  stoppage  of pipelines  by militants.

In an interview  with  German  Television,  ARD in Port Harcourt  on  Thursday,  Governor Wike said: "Blowing up  pipelines will further decrease our revenue, which affect payment  of salaries  and  development  projects.

"Blowing up pipelines  will not solve any of our development  challenges.  As a servant  of the people, I know that there is no need for insecurity.  I will never support  those who claim  to be responsible for pipelines vandalism ".

He said  that  all those who  have issues of any kind should embrace dialogue  as violence  will not lead to  the  solution  of the challenges  in the area.

While noting that the revenue  of the state has dwindled , he said  that his administration  has judiciously  used scarce resources to  develop  the state and earn the  trust of the  people.

He said: "We have  had  dramatic total  transformation of roads in the  state. We are in the process  of  rehabilitating  and equipping  general  hospitals  in the three senatorial  zones, setting  up  boarding  schools and developing  our security  infrastructure  for further development ".

He said  if previous  administrations  had used funds judiciously, the development  challenges  being faced in the state would have  been  reduced.

Commenting  on  the  Bodo clean up, the governor  said it should  be  sustained  in the interest  of  the  future  of  the people and their health.

He said that  the  Rivers State Government is in support of  Shell Development Paying compensation  to the people of Bodo  over the negative  impact of  oil spills.

Simeon Nwakaudu,
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor,
Electronic Media.

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DAVID CAMERON’S COMMENT: AMAECHI HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER – TAM GEORGE

PRESS STATEMENT

 

DAVID CAMERON’S COMMENT:  AMAECHI HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

 – TAM GEORGE

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George has said that the British Prime Minister, David Cameron’s recent comment on Nigeria as being “fantastically corrupt” was an apparent reference to the Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi’s corrupt legacy in Rivers State.

Dr. Tam-George who disclosed this in a press statement, said Amaechi has become the symbol of corruption in Nigeria, as he had been indicted by a court-approved judicial panel of inquiry over gross mismanagement and stealing of public funds, adding that “Mr. Amaechi’s presence in the federal cabinet is a horrendous blight on President Buhari’s anti-corruption War.”

The Commissioner called on the British Government who are the conveners of the ongoing Anti Corruption Conference in the United Kingdom to feature the looting of the Rivers State Treasury by the Amaechi administration as a key item of discussion at the conference, noting that Amaechi’s mismanagement of public funds has led to misery and mass poverty in Rivers State.

The Commissioner lamented that although Amaechi received N3 Trillion in eight years, he left the most abandoned projects in the history of Rivers State since 1967.

The Rivers Information Boss called on Amaechi to resign from office in order to give credibility to President Buhari’s anti-graft war.

Dr. Tam-George also accused Prof. Itse Sagay, Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, a key supporter of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, of turning a blind eye on Amaechi’s nefarious legacy in Rivers State.

The Commissioner commended the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for running a transparent and people-oriented government, through the delivery of quality service.

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INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY From Her Excellency, Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY: MAY 1, 2016.

International Worker's Day also known as Labour Day is a day mapped out for the  celebration of efforts of labourers and the working class. May 1st was chosen to be an international worker's day in order to commemorate the 4th May, 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. It happened that the Police
were trying to disperse a public assembly during a general strike for the 8th hour work day when an unidentified person threw a bomb at the Police. The Police responded by firing on the workers thereby killing four demonstrators.

The infrastructure and character of every country in the world was  built on the back of labourers and workers who endured harsh conditions and low pay in order to build a society that would flourish. In Nigeria, the historical development of our nation is closely linked to the history of the Trade Union Movement. The recognition of the Nigeria Civil Service by the British Colonial Government as the first trade union in the Nation in 1912 set the pace for worker's rights awareness.

The bravery and principled agitation that manifested in the 'Aba Women Riot' of 1929, the Coal Miners strike of 1949 and several other workers action started the legitimate demands for economic justice. Also, by pioneering organized rallying points for mass interest through workers unions, workers have strengthened the nationalist struggle for independence and provided the bedrock for a national labour platform which today represents the Nigerian Labour Congress.

The Nigerian worker is not only an important part of our history but a pivot of our past, present and future. They have played significant roles in deepening and developing the essence of democracy in our nation.  My husband, His Excellency, Chief Nyesom  Ezebunwo Wike's administration is committed to the enhancement of the welfare of the workers of our dear State both in the public and private sectors,  through infrastructural development and equipping of our health, educational and power sectors.

Providing good conditions of service, ensuring the independence of the judiciary in administration of justice, prompt payment of salaries, pension, gratuity and other allowances, revamping the ailing industrial establishments for job and wealth creation and empowerment of the teeming unemployed young men and women in our dear Rivers State  through skills acquisition schemes is a priority today. I sincerely urge us to give our dear Governor, all the support he needs irrespective of our beliefs for a better Rivers State.

To the dedicated and committed Teacher's Union of our State, that  selflessly toil night and day just to lay the right foundation for our children as future leaders, to the unalloyed contributions and commitments of the civil servants and indeed, the sacrifice and solidarity of so many other workers that have immensely contributed and continue to contribute to the peace, growth and development of our dear State and Nation at large, I salute you all.

Your service, dedication and contribution will never be in vain and I will continuously pray as  the mother of our dear State, for God's blessings  in your lives and families. I wish all workers (myself inclusive), a beautiful Worker's  Day celebration!

God bless and keep you and your families.

From Her Excellency,
Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike,
The Wife of His Excellency,
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike CON,
The Governor of Rivers State.

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