I'm Watching to See Where Wike Will Get Money to Work - Gov Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has predicted tough times for his successor, Barr. Nyesom Wike.
The governor said this in Port Harcourt on Sunday at a special thanksgiving service to mark the end of the 2015 electioneering period.

He said: “We have no money anywhere; even in Rivers State, we have no money. I think Nyesom Wike is coming; let us see where he will get money to pay salaries. We were enduring the pains because we had to pay our loans. We have paid a lot of our loans, if not all. So, he will have to manage.

NOA, NSPR Kicks off Training of Bloggers, Social Media Enthusiasts on Ethical Reporting in Port Harcourt

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in partnership with Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) of the British Council’s workshop aimed at building the capacity of bloggers and other social media enthusiasts in ethical code of conduct and conflict sensitive Communication has started the third leg of its workshop in Port Harcourt.

The workshop kicked off on Wednesday, April 14, at Juanita Hotels, old GRA, Port-Harcourt, Rivers state.

The workshop which targets all the geo-political areas of Nigeria followed studies that social media has become an avenue for transmitting hate speeches and radical messages which could lead to restiveness in the society.

NLC Suspends Planned Strike in Rivers, Says March, April Salaries Payment Ongoing

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said it has suspended a planned protest over non payment of salaries of civil servants in Rivers State.

One of the claimants to the chairmanship position of the NLC in Rivers State, Beatrice Tubo, said this at a meeting with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at a joint public negotiating council on Wednesday.

Tubo said that the Rivers State Government has commenced payment of March and April salaries to the civil servants.

She said: “We finally met with the government and some other perm secs and we all have agreed that government has started doing something; what we have asked for. So many banks have called us to confirm that they have received. We have been promised that by Friday they will commence the process of payment of April salaries as well. And being a responsible and organised labour, we saw that the issues we are canvassing have already been addressed and so we cannot continue with the action and we are calling on our members to be calm.”

RSSDA Admits non Payment of Allowances to Students on Overseas Scholarship

The Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) said it is true that it has not been able to pay the allowance of more than 7000 Rivers Students currently on scholarship overseas.

The Executive Director of RSSDA, Noble Pepple confirmed this following report that many of the students overseas have been thrown to the streets over unpaid allowances.

Pepple said the agency could not meet up with its financial obligations to the students overseas due to drop in the state revenue allocation.

He, however, said the agency was in touch with the management of the schools to ensure that the students were not terminated from their schools.

NBA Port Harcourt Branch Disassociates Self from Panel of Inquiry, Calls out Chairman of HRC

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt branch has declined participation in the ongoing investigations into the politically motivated killings in Rivers State by a commission of inquiry set up by the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.

The NBA in a statement issued by its Chairman, Denis Akwapam queried the eligibility of the chairman of the national human right commission to accept to super head the commission of inquiry when it was a complainant in the politically motivated killings.

He said that the chairman of the Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, should rather investigate the continuous closure of courts in Rivers State which he said was the remote cause of the politically motivated killings in the state.

The NBA said as an unbiased empire, Odinkalu ought not to have participated in a state government sponsored investigation.

Reusing Plastic Water Bottles Can Expose You to Bacterial Contamination

Found this article interesting from Everyday Health and thought I should share it because i think many of us having been making the same mistakes.

Reusing plastic water bottles may not be as healthy as you think. Even reusable plastic water bottles could hold bacterial contamination risks, if you don’t wash them or reuse them.
The question is “If it’s just filled with water, what’s so bad about not washing my water bottle?”

The Answer: If you have a bottle that you use every day for water-drinking purposes, congratulations! But here’s a question for you: When’s the last time you actually washed that water bottle? After all, if it’s just filled with water, it’s not actually dirty, right?

Sister Stabs Only Brother to Death in Warri

What started as a quarrel over who should do what chore between two siblings ended tragically as a sister stabbed her only brother with a knife leading to his death eventually on Tuesday.
Omasan Ogbe, a 21-year-old girl from the family of Ogbe in Ugbuwangue, an Itsekiri community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, allegedly stabbed to death her younger brother identified as Laju following a fight over daily domestic chores.

Omasan, who was described by a family source as a tomboy, was embittered that her younger brother floored her in a brawl following an argument over the washing of dishes.
Before the argument degenerated into a fierce fight, Omasan was said to have directed the younger brother to wash the dishes, but the boy reportedly refused claiming that he had fetched water into the drums in the house and was too tired to wash the dishes.

Rivers Assembly Suspends 3 LG bosses, Summons 9 Commissioners + Reactions

Rivers State House of Assembly, on Monday, suspended three caretaker committee chairmen over allegations of financial impropriety and insecurity in their councils.

The suspended caretaker committee chairmen are Mr Cassidy Ikegbedi, Ahoada East; Mr Ojukaye Amachree, Asari Toru, and Mr Derrick Mene for Khana Local Government Area.

The House, during its sitting presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, also set up a committee to investigate allegations against the council chairmen.

The Assembly also summoned nine commissioners and four heads of ministries, agencies and departments to appear before it today.

Amaechi and APC in Rivers Must Account for its Actions - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has sounded it loud and clear that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government in the state would give account of all its actions in government.

Secretary to the PDP Media Committee, Opunankubo Onkutaria said this in reaction to the planned conduct of local government elections on May 23.

Onkutaria warned that Rivers people would demand how the state resources were being spent.

Looting: PDP Commends Police For Intercepting Government House Loot In Rivers

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says the interception by policemen in Rivers State of looted government property from Government House, Port Harcourt has justified its earlier and persistent alarm on alleged “looting spree and other illegal activities by the out-going Governor Amaechi, his family members and aides in the Government House and other government institutions”.

In an official statement in Port Harcourt, the PDP commended officials of the Rivers State Command of the Nigerian Police, “who intercepted the truck carrying looted items from the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, Sunday, May 10, 2015”.

Rivers Elections Tribunal In Abuja to Treat 56 Petitions

The Rivers State legislative election tribunal headed by Justice V. U Okorie began sitting  in Abuja on Monday but the governorship election petition panel headed by Justice Ayuba Kwajaffa is expected to have its inaugural sitting within the week.

One of the petitions being handled by the Justice Okorie tribunal is that of Senator Magnus Abe of the APC. In his petition, Abe is seeking the nullification of the election of Olaka Nwogu of the PDP who was declared winner of Rivers South East Senatorial poll held on March 28, 2015.

Abe is asking the tribunal to nullify the election on the grounds that it was fraught with malpractices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

6 Persons Allegedly Killed in Community in Rivers

Six people from Kporgor Community in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State have been shot dead by unknown gunmen. Reasons for the killing are still unknown.

A man who claimed his wife and son were also killed said: “I was not around when it happened but before I came down I saw that my wife and son were shot dead. So, I had to rush and looked for security. I am also using this medium to appeal for people to come to my aid due to the condition I am into now.”

Workers Day: Wike Assures Rivers Workers of Functional Relationship, Mutual Respect

The governor-elect of Rivers State, Chief Barr Nyesom Wike has assured workers in the state of his dedication to a functional relationship backed with mutual respect.

Wike gave this assurance in his workers-day message to workers in the state.

He congratulated the workers and urged them to join hands with his administration to rebuild the state he said has allegedly been marred by bad administration.

I Have No Plans to Defect to APC - Wike

The Rivers State governor-elect, Barr Nyesom Wike said he never contemplated of moving from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike said this in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Simeon Nwakando.

The governor-elect said he was committed to the PDP and has not entered into any negotiation with APC with the aim of defecting to the APC.

Wike also said political career is built on truth, development and service to the people as well as commitment to the development of Rivers State which he said is his focus.

He said he received the mandate of Rivers people to recall the stolen mandate from the APC and has no desire whatsoever to join the APC.

Politically Motivated Killings: Court Stops Gov Amaechi’s Commission of Inquiry from Sitting

Justice Eche Nkachiwa of the federal high court in Port Harcourt has issued an interim order restraining the Rivers State Commission of Inquiry on politically motivated violence and killings from sitting pending the hearing and determination of a suit before the court against the setting up of the commission.

The suit was instituted by the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State challenging the setting up of the commission of inquiry by Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi.

Counsel to the PDP, Dike Odena told newsmen that the interim order means the commission of inquiry will not sit until the 6^th of May when the matter was adjourned to.

Odena said: “My client went to court to enforce their fundamental right against the commission of inquiry. The court just granted them interim order restraining the commission from sitting. So, what that means in effect is that the commission of inquiry will not sit pending when they would come before the court to explain themselves. Especially, there is this motion for interlocutory injunction which has been fixed for the 6^th of May. But the interim order is to restrain them from sitting between now and then. So, they are not supposed to sit until after when then come for the hearing of the motion on notice on the 6^th of May.”