Politics

SHOW CAPACITY, ENSURE FOOD SUFFICIENCY, GOV. FUBARA CHARGES TASKFORCE ON SONGHAI PROJECT

Published

7 months ago

September 26, 2024

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has charged the newly inaugurated task force on revitalization of Songhai farm project to show capacity and meet up the yearnings of the people on food sufficiency through the huge agricultural investment in the State.

Governor Fubara gave the charge while inaugurating the task force in Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, and stated that earlier decisions to commence the revamping of the Songhai Project was halted because of the excessive conditions of the potential investor who demanded five billion naira bank guarantee.

The governor particular tasked the two new companies that will be involved in the revitalization to show capacity in terms of ability and technical knowledge on such projects and not disappoint at the most critical moment.

“The issue of Songhai farm has been in the news for a very long time. As a matter of fact, if a few of you could remember we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after his presentation and we believed that he has the capacity, we said okay, we signed off. But something happened, he came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5 billion Bank guarantee. We asked him if we had a N5 billion why do we need you to come and revitalize the farm, we will put our N5 billion there and for that reason we cancelled that arrangement.”

He expressed confidence on the chairman of the task force, Mr. Biedima Oliver who was part of the pioneer team of the Songhai Project, under the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, and charged him to bring back his wealth of experience to bear in the revitalization process, while assuring the necessary support to the team to succeed.”

“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you touched, you turned it to gold, please bring back that life that we used to see in Songhai with the help of your Committee. We will be here to give you all the necessary support but make sure that what our people are yearning for, bring back Songhai, we want to see it happen within the lifetime of this administration.”

“Do everything within your power and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit of not just the people of Tai but the entire Rivers State and Nigeria.”

The Chairman of the Special Taskforce on the Revitalization of Songhai Farm, Bunu, Tai, Mr. Biedima Oliver thanked the Governor for having confidence in the capabilities of members of the task force to carry out the assignment of revitalizing the Songhai and assured that they will work hard to deliver the project.

The 5-member special taskforce include Mr. Biedima Oliver, as Chairman, Engr. Victor Kii, Mr. Frank Fubara, Dr. Ayebaesin J. Beredugo, and Mr. Maurice Ogolo, as members.

Politics

Don’t expect anything good from Tinubu – Ex-APC chieftain to Nigerians

Published

51 minutes ago

April 28, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has cautioned Nigerians against expecting anything good from President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.

Lukman warned that Tinubu can’t achieve anything significant before May 2027.

He disclosed this while featuring as a guest on the Sunday edition of Channels TV’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akanda.

Lukman said Tinubu is not the kind of progressive leader he once believed him to be.

He maintained that Tinubu is governing Nigeria differently from how he ruled Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.

According to Lukman: “For you to even expect something very wonderful to happen before May 2027, I will say you are a dreamer, I will wish you luck in your dream, but if it happens, it will be a pleasant surprise.

“For me, I have reached the conclusion that I don’t think anything good is going to come out and which is why we have to start organising.

“I have said so, this country can be fixed in our lifetime, and I pray to God to give us the strength and courage to engage our leaders.”

He pointed out that the failure of the APC has made it necessary for the coalition currently being formed to be built on a very strong foundation.

“If having gone through the APC and failed, we now organise another coalition that will become business as usual, which is why this initial negotiation we are really engaging ourselves.

“So, we really have to, we owe it to Nigerians, and I am telling Nigerians that look, it is possible to fix this country in our lifetime,” he said.

Politics

2027: Don’t cause problem, let Tinubu do eight years like Buhari – Tompolo to Northerners

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1 hour ago

April 28, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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Niger Delta ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo has urged the Northerners to let President Bola Tinubu complete eight years in office just like his predicessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who cames from the North.

Tompolo, who spoke on Arise Television amid Atiku Abubakar’s campaign for coalition against Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election, said he doesn’t want anybody from the North to cause problem.

The Niger Delta leader also promised to travel to all states in the North to appeal to the people of the region to support Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.

Tompolo said, “We will do our part, even go out of our boundary to the northern part of Nigeria to talk to our brothers so that he will get his second tenure.

“Tinubu is a good person; he has the experience to bring this country to a higher level.

“I am travelling across all the northern states to appeal to them. Buhari spent eight years now. So, we don’t want anybody to cause any problem.

“Let Tinubu have his eight years too and go then we will look for another person. There is no need for anybody to say we have a monopoly of power.”

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Uche Nwosu, recently insisted that the presidency cannot return to the North in 2027 because former President Buhari completed eight years in office.

According to Nwosu, the southern part of the country should be allowed to complete its eight-year tenure, just like the North did under Buhari.

Politics

China raises national flag on disputed reef near Philippine base, escalating tensions in South China Sea

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Representative Image © Provided by Asian News International (ANI)

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Manila [Phillipines], April 27 (ANI): China has “implemented maritime governance and asserted its sovereign authority” over an uninhabited reef in the contested South China Sea, as it raised the national flag on the small sandbank located just a few kilometers from a major Philippine military base, according to a report by The Japan Times.

Images released by Chinese state media on Saturday depicted officers from the China Coast Guard unfolding the flag to effectively assert control over Sandy Cay reef, known as Tiexian Jiao in China, earlier this month. The reef is situated in the contentious Spratly Islands chain, which is also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, as reported by The Japan Times.

Sandy Cay is positioned slightly over 3 kilometers from Thitu Island, referred to as Pag-asa by Manila, which hosts Philippine military installations, including a military-grade runway and approximately 250 residents.

China‘s Global Times stated that coast guard personnel had arrived on Sandy Cay “to carry out an on-reef inspection and record illegal activities on video” while also cleaning up “plastic bottles, wooden sticks, and other litter scattered across the reef flat” as referenced by The Japan Times report.

In January, Beijing claimed that Chinese forces had intercepted and “dissuaded” Philippine naval vessels that had “entered” the waters near the reef, which they alleged were attempting “an illegal landing and sand sample collection”.

The Philippines has stated that it has dispatched coast guard vessels to the region to monitor and investigate whether China is attempting to carry out minor island reclamation projects in the area. China asserts that the approximately 200-square-meter Sandy Cay is a natural formation and not a man-made structure, granting it a 12-nautical-mile (22-km) territorial sea under international law, which would overlap with Thitu Island.

Between 2013 and 2016, China engaged in a significant land reclamation initiative in the South China Sea, constructing several military outposts in a concerted effort to strengthen its claim over roughly 90 per cent of the resource-rich waters, through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually, as also mentioned by The Japan Times.

“One of the ironies is that China‘s interest in claiming Sandy Cay is about reinforcing the legitimacy of their claims to the adjacent Subi Reef, which now accommodates a major artificial port and airfield.

This results in lawfare that supports further expansionism,” wrote Euan Graham, a regional security analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, on X. (ANI)