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The Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of lying against the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Rivers governor.

Wike at the weekend alleged that Amaechi administration’s spirit of demolition destroyed the foundation of basic and secondary education in the state, claiming that his administration inherited a rot of unimaginable proportion in the sector.

APC, yesterday in Port Harcourt, through Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Public Affairs Consultant to Rivers Chairman of the party, Davies Ikanya, declared that the collapse of the education sector under the watch of Wike was unacceptable, unfortunate, condemnable, wicked and unjust.

The party said, “The total collapse of the education sector of Rivers State was further showcased and buttressed by the Rivers State students of secondary school cadre in the very heart of Port Harcourt, when they decided last week to take their destiny in their own hands by taking to the streets to protest lack of teachers and classroom blocks in their schools, insisting that they be relocated to the model secondary schools built by the administration of Amaechi, which Wike has kept under lock and key, as they would no longer be able to continue to study in unfavourable environment.

“Wike, who has abandoned education in Rivers State, on February 10, 2018 in Port Harcourt, donated a whopping sum of ?500 million to a university owned by a former Rivers governor, Dr. Peter Odili, thereby continuing to squander Rivers State’s money, through disbursement of public funds to his party chieftains and cohorts, while the future of our children remains bleak and mortgaged.

“Rivers APC notes with great sadness that the rot in our educational system could get to this disgraceful level that secondary school students in Rivers State had to embark on public protest, while Wike continues to demonstrate his hatred for Amaechi by keeping the model secondary schools built by Amaechi under lock and key, thereby jeopardising the future of our dear children.

“We have not forgotten how Wike wickedly stopped the overseas scholarship scheme instituted by Amaechi to assist indigent and bright children of Rivers State to have a better future, thereby forcing most of these students studying abroad into prostitution and other criminal acts in foreign countries. The protests and pleas by some of the students in the streets of London fell on deaf ears.”

The main opposition party noted that Amaechi, within the first three years as governor, set the state on the path that made it a world-acknowledged state in education by declaring an emergency in the sector and completely took over the payment of salaries of primary school and junior secondary school teachers, from the councils.

It observed that Amaechi’s government initiated and targeted 700 model primary schools and within four years, about 250 were completed and inaugurated.

Rivers APC added that Amaechi’s government, within the first three years, also built 24 model secondary schools across 23 local councils, which were well structured and equipped with modern educational, recreation and boarding facilities, with standard accommodation for teachers, with one of them inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, while 13,200 teachers were employed for primary and secondary schools.

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“Your Turn Will Come To Leave Power” — El-Rufai Tells Political Office Holders

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Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, has reminded current office holders that their tenure is temporary, urging them to lead with fairness and keep in mind that “power is transient”.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the public unveiling of Mohammed Bello Adoke’s memoir titled “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 billion Nigerian Oil Block”, el-Rufai said Adoke, a former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, should be praised rather than targeted for his role in strengthening the nation’s democracy.

He noted, “Everyone knows that Mohammed Bello Adoke was one of those that stood and persuaded President Jonathan to actually concede the 2015 elections.”

According to him, “we should actually thank him as the APC government of 2015, not persecute him.”

Reflecting on his time in government, el-Rufai spoke about the betrayals that often come with public service.

He recalled, “About 12 years ago in this hall, I presented ‘The Accidental Public Servant’, which was a record of my experience in public service at the time, which showed how friends abandon you, betray you, and how those that you’ve been good to turn around against you.”

He continued, “And everyone told me I made a mistake, that I will never go near public service again. Because in Nigeria, when you are in government, you eat, you keep quiet, and you come back, and you remain silent.”

El-Rufai said he had no regrets about his service and believed Adoke had no reason to fear scrutiny.

“I don’t think I had anything to hide in public service, yes. I still don’t,” he said.

“And I know Bello Adoke has nothing to hide. So, you can write a book like that and hold your head high, because you know you did nothing wrong while holding public office.”

He encouraged today’s leaders to act with integrity and always remember how brief time in power can be.

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Buhari Couldn’t Have Won 2015 Election Without Tinubu’s Strategic Support — Bayo Onanuga

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Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, says the 2013 merger that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured the “important votes” that helped former President Muhammadu Buhari win the 2015 presidential election.

During an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, Onanuga responded to comments made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who claimed that the APC merger added only three million votes to Buhari’s tally in the 2015 election.

The merger brought together the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP).

Mustapha argued that Buhari had consistently polled over 12 million votes even before the merger, suggesting those votes formed the majority of the 15.4 million he received to defeat ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

But Onanuga contended that despite those numbers, Buhari lacked sufficient presence in the south and required the support of the ACN to achieve the necessary electoral “spread.”

He noted that the ACN delivered the “important votes” Buhari needed from the southern region.

“It was clear to ACN, a very strategic arm of that alliance, that without additional support, there was no way Buhari could have won the election,” Onanuga stated.

“Yeah, he was getting 12 million votes if you put all the 19 states together, but in the south, Buhari was nowhere. Buhari needed the spread. ACN had six.

“Buhari got the votes he needed in those six states. They may not be in millions, but there were important votes.

“He won in all those six states, and he got more than 25 percent. At the end of the day, he won in about 25 states, more than the constitutional requirement of 24 states.”

Onanuga also said Buhari “never forgot the help that Tinubu rendered to him” and maintained that without Tinubu’s contribution, Buhari would not have become president.

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Senate Replaces Natasha Akpoti With Aniekan Bassey As Diaspora Committee Chair

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Senate Sacks Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Diaspora Committee Chairman, Replaces Her with Akwa Ibom Senator

The Senate, on Thursday, removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from her position as Chair of the Committee on Diaspora, naming Senator Aniekan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East, as her replacement.

The announcement was made during plenary without any official explanation for the change. Senator Bassey is expected to take over the responsibilities immediately. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was appointed Chair of the Diaspora and NGOs Committee on “February 4, 2025”, after being removed as Chair of the Committee on Local Content. This latest move represents another minor reshuffle in the Senate committee leadership.

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