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Rivers: Reps in heated argument before plenary

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Some members of the House of Representatives engaged in a heated argument over the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The incident reportedly occurred during its plenary session on Wednesday.

DAILY POST sighted a video of the incident shared online by AIT News on Wednesday.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday night, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The President made the pronouncement in a nationwide broadcast.

However, the Constitution requires the National Assembly to consider the President’s gazetted proclamation within 48 hours if it is in session and within 10 days if it is in recess.

If the National Assembly does not consider the proclamation valid, it will vote otherwise. A two-thirds majority of both houses—the Senate and the House of Representatives—is required to uphold or reject the declaration.

Video link below:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DjSFokVjB/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

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Headlines

Soldiers hold Fubara, family hostage at Rivers governor’s residence

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family members are being held hostage at the Government House, Port-Harcourt, by a contingent of heavily armed soldiers Tuesday night.

The development comes moments after President Bola Tinubu invoked Section 180 of the Nigerian Constitution to proclaim a state of emergency in Rivers. The Nigerian leader based his controversial move on a prolonged and rapidly escalating political feud led by state lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike, who commenced impeachment proceedings against Mr Fubara last week to settle scores in his fallout with Mr Wike, who engineered Mr Fubara’s election in 2023 despite corruption charges.

Rivers government sources told The Gazette that soldiers carrying out the president’s instructions on declaring the state of emergency barricaded all entrances and exits to the government house immediately after the president’s speech.

Attempts by Mr Fubara and his family to pack their belongings out of the Government House have been rebuffed by the soldiers, who suppressed all movements around the premises.

“We are being held hostage,” an affected official told The Gazette from the scene on Tuesday night. “They said they don’t have instruction to let anyone leave the premises.”

It was unclear whether the soldiers implemented their duties as instructed or were overzealous in following specific orders.

Spokespersons for the Nigerian Army and Defence Headquarters did not immediately return requests seeking comments about the soldiers’ treatment of the Fubaras.

Mr Tinubu’s declaration to suspend the feuding parties from office for six months, effective Tuesday, sparked furious debates across social media as netizens argued whether the president had constitutional grounds to suspend an elected governor whom the state lawmakers have not yet impeached. Efforts to impeach Mr Fubara began on Monday, barely 24 hours before Mr Tinubu imposed an emergency ordinance.

Lawyers like Inibehe Effiong and Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana have excoriated the president for taking the law into his own hands without regard for the Constitution’s position.

The president named the retired chief of naval staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as the military administrator in Rivers in the interim.

Source: People’s Gazette

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Headlines

Fubara’s whereabouts unknown as Military moves trucks into Rivers Govt House

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The movement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara was unknown on Tuesday night when the military moved trucks into Rivers Government House in Port Harcourt.

The trucks were placed within and outside the Government House on the first night of the State of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu declared emergency rule amid the attacks on oil installations in Rivers State.

Some militants groups had threatened to blow up pipelines if the Rivers House of Assembly impeach Fubara.

However, hours after the lawmakers served the governor with notice of alleged misconduct, the militants carried out their threat.

Responding, the president suspended Fubara and the lawmakers for sic months, appointing an administrator for the state.

After the declaration, about 10 military trucks patrolled the road leading to the Government House main gate while armoured vehicles were seen at strategic positions within the road leading to the Government House gate.

The road leading to Government House from the popular UTC junction was deserted as residents made efforts to get back to their respective houses.

A resident of Port Harcourt who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that military trucks were found all over the area.

“The road leading to Government House from the Issac Boro park to the popular UTC is deserted. Residents are making efforts to get back to their respective homes as nobody wants to be caught in a cross fire. I saw about 10 military trucks parading the road leading to Government House. There are other armoured tanks that have been stationed at both entrance road leading to Government House,” the sources said.

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Headlines

BREAKING: Tinubu names ex-Naval chief Ibas as Rivers administrator

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Tinubu has named a former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibokette Ibas, an administrator for Rivers State.

The appointment was made after the President declared a state of emergency in the state and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and the state lawmakers for six months.

Tinubu made the declaration on Tuesday during a national broadcast.

“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.

“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate,” he said.

More details soon…

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Headlines

BREAKING: Tinubu suspends Fubara, deputy others for 6 months

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

……declares state of emergency in Rivers State

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.

This is in reaction to the political crisis that have engulfed Rivers State.

Leading reporters reports that the President made the declaration in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.

“The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started,” Tinubu said.

The president stated that he made personal intervention to resolve the crisis in the state but his efforts have been ignored.

A retired military chief, Ekwe Ibas, has been selected to oversee the state’s affairs once the emergency is declared.

The move comes amid escalating violence between former Governor Nyesom Wike and the current Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as the two continue their protracted political feud.

Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has reportedly been attempting to unseat Fubara, intensifying the political tensions in the state.

Following the unrest, major petrol pipelines in the state were sabotaged by suspected militants.

The increasing violence and instability have prompted the federal government to consider drastic measures to restore order in the oil-rich state.

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Headlines

BREAKING: Tinubu suspends Fubara, deputy others for 6 months

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

……….. declares state of emergency

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.

This is in reaction to the political crisis that have engulfed Rivers State.

Leading reporters reports that the President made the declaration in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.

“The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started,” Tinubu said.

The president stated that he made personal intervention to resolve the crisis in the state but his efforts have been ignored.

A retired military chief, Ekwe Ibas, has been selected to oversee the state’s affairs once the emergency is declared.

The move comes amid escalating violence between former Governor Nyesom Wike and the current Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as the two continue their protracted political feud.

Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has reportedly been attempting to unseat Fubara, intensifying the political tensions in the state.

Following the unrest, major petrol pipelines in the state were sabotaged by suspected militants.

The increasing violence and instability have prompted the federal government to consider drastic measures to restore order in the oil-rich state.

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Tinubu
Headlines

Rivers crisis: Tinubu to address Nigerians Tuesday night

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Tinubu will address the nation on Tuesday in a nationwide broadcast regarding the situation in Rivers State.

This was confirmed in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The NTA and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria will broadcast the address at 7pm.

All television and radio stations are requested to link up with the broadcast.

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Ahamewule
Headlines

Rivers Civil Servants Threaten Mass Protest Over Budget Delay

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

A coalition of concerned civil servants in Rivers State, alongside the Rivers Solidarity for Good Governance, has issued a deadline to the state House of Assembly, demanding the immediate receipt of the 2025 budget from the executive arm by Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

At a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the coalition condemned what it described as “reckless inaction and obstruction of governance,” warning of mass resistance if the delay persisted.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Opu-Oyibo Lilly-West criticized the state assembly for its continued failure to receive the budget, stating that the delay has created economic uncertainty for thousands of workers, market traders, and residents.

“Your blatant disregard for the urgent needs of our state has placed critical contracts and salaries at risk. By choosing spectacle over service, you have endangered the future of our public institutions and betrayed the trust of every citizen who depends on a stable, functioning government,” Lilly-West said.

The coalition insisted that the budget be submitted without further delay and fully presented before the Assembly by March 19, 2025, in accordance with the request made by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

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pengassan
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PENGASSAN Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Illegal Hiring of 10,699 Indian Expatriates

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the federal government fails to remove 10,699 Indian expatriates employed by Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, accused the company of violating Section 32 of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Act by employing an excessive number of expatriates. He alleged that the Ministry of Interior, along with other government officials, facilitated the allocation of the expatriate quota, thereby limiting job opportunities for Nigerians.

Osifo warned that the association would shut down the company’s plants if the government failed to act.

“We will engage all stakeholders, but if the government does not take action, those plants will be shut down. We will declare a nationwide strike, and once our members withdraw, upstream operations will be grounded,” he said.

While he did not specify a timeline for the planned strike, Osifo stated that PENGASSAN had already instructed its members within the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to take action, affecting lifting operations.

“As of today, their operations are already under lock and key. They cannot lift,” he added.

PENGASSAN, which represents about 90 percent of workers in the upstream oil sector, maintains that it can effectively disrupt activities in the industry through industrial action.

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NSCIA
Headlines

NSCIA Dismisses Claims of Sultan’s Plot to Islamize Nigeria

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has refuted claims that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, is plotting to Islamise Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Deputy National Legal Adviser, Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, the council described the allegation as “baseless, unfounded, and malicious.”

“The attention of the NSCIA has been drawn to a piece of mischievous information being circulated on social media, falsely ascribing to the Sultan a statement linked to the now-popular propaganda of Islamising Nigeria. This spurious information is not only false but entirely fabricated. The Sultan, who was purported to have made the statement, has been out of the country for the last two weeks,” the statement read.

The NSCIA stressed that the Sultan leads a diverse Muslim community across Nigeria and dismissed the notion that he could have made such remarks.

“While the council would ordinarily not respond to such a malicious act, it sees the need to educate the public to prevent misinformation from misleading undiscerning minds,” it added.

The council urged Nigerians to disregard the publication and verify information before sharing it.

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