News
BREAKING: Tinubu Swears-in Ibas as Rivers Sole Administrator ▪︎It’s a truncation of democracy in Rivers- Amaechi
The suspension of two key democratically elected arms of Government in Rivers State by Mr. President evidently violates our Constitution, even within the scope and interpretation of Section 305 that the President cited in his broadcast.
Politicians across divides should speak up; rise to halt our nation’s descent into totalitarianism. State Governors and Legislators should speak up now.
President Bola Tinubu has sworn-in the sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (RTD.), into office for the next six months.
Rt. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a former Governor of the state, said : “Unequivocally, I condemn the rather brazen and unilaterally reckless suspension and removal of the Governor of Rivers State, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.” Tinubu swore Ibas into office at about 03:00 pm at the State House, Abuja.
The brief ceremony was witnessed by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila., the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.
On Tuesday, Tinubu in a national broadcast declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Rotimi Amaechi, who was governor of oil-rich Rivers State, from 2007 to 2015 and earlier, as speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007, pointed out that with this singular move, Mr President has technically suspended and truncated democracy in Rivers State.
He said :” This clearly violates our Constitution, the same Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that Mr. President swore to uphold.Section 188 of the Nigeria Constitution, clearly stipulates how a State Governor can be removed from office. And it does not include a fiat declaration, decree or promulgation by Mr. President.
Therefore, he cannot appropriate such powers to himself.A democratically elected State Governor cannot be removed from office by a proclamation of Mr. President.
The suspension of two key democratically elected arms of Government in Rivers State by Mr. President evidently violates our Constitution, even within the scope and interpretation of Section 305 that the President cited in his broadcast.
The unlawful suspension of elected democratic institutions in my dear Rivers State points to a brazen attempt at power grab in the State by forces and persons who do not have such Constitutional powers.
The unfolding events in Rivers State in the past months, points to a clear orchestrated plot by some persons to unconstitutionally perpetrate and impose themselves on the people.
At this inauspicious moment in our nation’s trajectory, all people of goodwill and conscience should rise to oppose this audacious violation of our Constitution and rape of our democracy.
Mr President must be made to know and understand in unmistakable terms that this illegality cannot stand.
Politicians across divides should speak up; rise to halt our nation’s descent into totalitarianism. State Governors and Legislators should speak up now.
I urge the National Assembly to reject this illegality. As a former State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF),
I am not unaware of the role elected Governors in the country can play to halt this descent and reverse the unlawful actions of Mr. President.
I commend the Governors that have spoken against the unlawful suspension. The suspension is a very dangerous affront on Nigeria’s Constitution and democracy.
News
HAPPENING NOW: Blackout hits Abuja, Embassies affected
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has announced power outage in various parts of Abuja including hotels and diplomatic buildings.
The AEDC made the announcement in its verified X handle today.
It said the blackout also affected Bolingo Hotel, Wada Maida Building, which houses the headquarters of Sudan, Egypt embassies, Envoy Hotel, the European Union embassy, among others.
The other places affected by the blackout are the National Planning Commission (NPC), the National Hospital, and the Turkish, Pakistani, and Indian embassies.
“Also, Garki Area One, Two, Three, Seven and Eight; Garki village; Garki market; Ubiaja Street; Kaltungo Street; and Lagos Street have been affected.
“Also affected are Oka Akoko Street, Treasury House, Karibu Hotel, and part of Asokoro, such as Yakubu Gowon Street.
“Similarly, Imo Government Lodges, Gado Nasko Street, Justice Sowemimo, Hassan Musa Katsina Streets, part of Jasse Martin, NIA, and TY Danjuma Street are without power supply.
“It said also affected are Lugbe, Jedo, Forte Royal, Back Of Dunamics, Customs Quarters, Aviation Village Piwoye Kapwa Ok Water, Nicomsat, Korean School and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,”.
It attributed the power outage to a technical fault.
“The technical team of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is currently working to restore the power supply.
“We regret the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding,” AEDC said.
News
Burial begins for Oyo school teacher killed by JAS terrorist group
The deceased teacher is expected to be buried at his residence in the Owolake area of Ogbomoso.
The burial arrangements for Adesiyan Adegboye, the teacher killed during last Friday’s coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, began on Friday at Ayegun Baptist Church, Ogbomoso.
Adegboye, 49, was shot dead during the invasion carried out by armed bandits at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele.
The deceased teacher is expected to be buried at his residence in the Owolake area of Ogbomoso.
The attackers reportedly stormed the schools around 9:30am, abducting several teachers and students during the operation that threw the communities into panic.
Following the incident, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited the affected area on Saturday and ordered the deployment of additional detectives from the Force Headquarters in Abuja to support ongoing rescue efforts.
News
FG launches GovGuideNigeria to boost citizens governance access
GovGuideNigeria platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijan, has said that Nigerians can now access the government information and services through the newly launched GovGuideNigeria.
The artificial intelligence-powered platform was launched on May 21 by the government in collaboration with Meta, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and local developer partner Publica AI.
According to the Minister, the platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.
Tijani stated that the platform provides users with easy access to information from more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies.
He described the initiative as part of the government’s efforts to improve public service delivery through technology and digital innovation.
Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Meta, said during the launch “Meta’s open-source AI is critical to economic growth and productivity — and GovGuide Nigeria, is a clear example of what this looks like in practice.
Ignatius Willie, CEO, Publica AI said, “Today is not just a product launch. It is a step towards democratising how Nigerians engage with their government. With GovGuide Nigeria, we are not simply digitising access to public services; we are making them conversational, multilingual, and available on the channels Nigerians already use every day.
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