Ateke Tom Calls For Peace.

Ahead of the December 10 new date for the conclusion of the legislative election in Rivers state, an ex-militant leader, Ateke Tom has called for peaceful elections.

In a meeting with journalists in Okrika, he advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the polls are transparent.

“I want Rivers people to go out for a peaceful election so that there will be peace in the state. Whether you are APC or PDP, go out on that day and vote peacefully.
“Any party that wants to do rally can do their rally anywhere, nobody should disturb them. If they want to use my bedroom for their rally, I will give them my bedroom key after all before APC or PDP, there was Rivers state.
“No one should use my name to cover their failure if they have failed before, you are free to do your rally anywhere,” he said.
There are fears that the tension that is already building up to the December 10 new date for the conclusion of the legislative rerun does not show good signs.
This is in view of the violence that greeted the 2015 general elections in the state and the March 19 legislative rerun in Rivers state which led to the cancellation of the exercise in some local government areas.
Ateke Tom’s community in Okrika also experienced some violence during a political rally in the 2015 polls.

The Building of St. Martin's Anglican Church at 50 now.

HISTORY OF SAINT MARTIN

We need to distinguish our Patron Saint, St. Martins (died 655) form another Martins of Tours (319 – 397 AD). The former i.e our patron Saint, was a pope whose feast day is November 12. While the latter was bishop whose Feast falls on the previous day, i.e November 11. And it was in recognition of this that our Church fathers elected to dedicated this present edifice on Saturday 12 November 1996, Consequently, the edifice was consecrated by the Most Reverend Cecil John Patterson DD, Archbishop of west Africa He was assisted the Rt. Rev. Bara Hart (Diocesan and the Rt. Rev. H.A.I. Afanya (Assistant bishop).

St. Martin became the bishop in July 649. He is the last of the popes who is venerated as a martyr.
Martin hailed from Todi in Tuscany. In his youth, he dedicated himself to the Church as the lector, and later as a Deacon. Because of his Virtues. He was elected as successor to Pope Theodore in AD) 649.
Martins defended the orthodox Christian faith and condemned tow imperial decrease that supports heterodoxy. This act brought about his persecution by Emperor Constance. He has thus whisked away and imprisoned in captivity at Naxos where he was harshly treated, he became sick and carried away on a stretcher to Constantinople, the imperial city in 654. There he was publicly stripped if his Episcopal robes, and his tunic was stripped from top to bottom. Loaded with chains he was condemned to death, but at the plea of the Patriarch Pyrrhus (on May 1, 655), his sentence was commuted to exile. He left Constantinople on May 26, 655 for the Crimea. Between June and September, he wrote letters to a friend in Constantinople complaining pathetically that all his friends and even the Church of Rome had abandoned him. “For forty days,to vomit,” he wrote, “I have not been given water to wash in. I am frozen through and wasting away with dysentery. The food vomit. But God sees all things and I trust in him” He eventually succumbed on September 16, 655.

RSG To Rehabilitate Ogu General Hospital and 12 others.

Rising from its 13th State Executive Council meeting, the Rivers State Government has approved the rehabilitation of the moribund Psychiatric Hospital and nine other general hospitals across the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, made the plans public during a chat with newsmen last Wednesday after the State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt.
He said the plan is in line with the vision of Wike to create access to quality healthcare for the people of Rivers State. The State Executive Council approved the total rehabilitation of nine general hospitals.
The hospitals to be rehabilitated are:
General Hospital Omoku, General Hospital Nchia ,
General Hospital, Abua, General Hospital Isiokpo,
General Hospital Abonnema,
General Hospital Okrika,
General Hospital Opobo,
General Hospital Terabo,
General Hospital Ngo.
The commissioner added that the state government will also rehabilitate Government Secondary School, Ogu in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area
He said, “the Governor Wike administration as promised will face the development of health and education infrastructure across the state.
“This approval by the State Executive Council is in line with the New Rivers Vision of the Wike administration.”
Already, the upgrade of the Orthopedic Department of the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital has been completed by the administration .
He also said that as part of measures to improve quality education, Government School Ogu in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area will be rehabilitated.
Already some selected schools across the state are under rehabilitation as pilot scheme for the new boarding policy of the state government.
They include, Government Girls Secondary School Rumuokwuta, Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri and Birabi Memorial Secondary School, Bori.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has faulted claims by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that it constructed 64 roads in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on NDDC matters, Chief Aribitonye Okiri, who made this known in a statement in Port Harcourt, noted with dismay that NDDC under Mrs Ibim Seminitari as managing director was labeling some projects carried out by the Rivers State Government as being embarked upon by the Commission.
Okiri said the claim by NDDC was misleading, false and regrettable as it was a move to undermine the developmental strides of Governor Nyesom Wike.
He, therefore, directed the NDDC to stop forthwith, construction of all roads in the state without due permission from the Rivers State Government.
According to him, the directive was to ensure that activities of some NDDC contractors who claimed ownership of roads constructed by the Rivers State Government stopped forthwith, adding that Rivers State as host to the commission has no records to that effect.
The Special adviser also warned NDDC and other agencies against construction work on all existing structures owned by the state government without express permission from the government and lauded Governor Wike for his resolve in developing Rivers State.
He, however, noted that the development of the Nige Delta could only be achieved through collaboration, peace and mutual respect.

Colins Barasimeye.

Ogu General Hospital

Fuel Price Hike: NNPC Dismisses Report

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has again debunked reports that it plans to hike the pump price of petrol.
Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr Garba Deen Muhammad, made the denial in a statement issued to newsmen last Monday in Abuja.
He said that the NNPC “is not empowered statutorily to tinker with the pricing template of petroleum products as erroneously reported in some national dailies.”
The corporation had on October 23 debunked the report that plans were in the offing to increase the pump price of fuel.
The NNPC spokesman said that the adjustment of the pump price of petrol by NNPC filling stations from N141 to N145 per litre was still within the approved price band.
“The price adjustment is still within the price band of N135 and N145 per litre approved on May 11 by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the statutory body in charge of petroleum products pricing.
“The corporation assures marketers and motorists of its readiness to continue to play its statutory role of being the supplier of last resort and ensuring energy security for the nation.
“The NNPC further confirms the availability of over 1.6 billion litres of PMS in-country that would last 45 days consumption.
“There was no time the NNPC management met the President to push for a hike in the pump price of petrol to N150 per litre,” Muhammad said.
He advised journalists to always cross check their facts before going to press.

The Nigerian Navy arrested sea ship over illegal bunkering.

The Nigerian Navy has arrested a sea ship, MT Sea Eunice over allegation of involvement in illegal oil bunkering.

 A statement on Tuesday from Navy spokesman Commodore, Chris Ezekobe said the arrest was carried out by operatives of the Navy deployed by NNS Pathfinder.

 He explained that: "preliminary investigation revealed that, while the vessel was nominated to load 400 Metric Tones (MT) of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) it was discovered that she had about 1,000 MT of AGO on board even as the final process for loading approval was not completed."

 He said the vessel would be handed over to relevant prosecuting agency for further action.

 He also said patrol teams deployed by Forward Operation Base (FCB)  Bonny on 1 November 2016 raided Ogbunku and Bolo Creeks in Rivers State.

 He said during the raids, the team destroyed two illegal refineries, one Cotonou boat and six storage tanks containing suspected illegally refined AGO.

 He said other items destroyed include four storage tanks of suspected stolen crude oil and three speedboats carrying eight drums each of suspected illegally refined AGO.

 He said  the patrol team recovered three outboard engines of 40 Horse Power capacity and three pumping machines.

 He further said on 3 November 2016, FOB Escravos patrol team raided an illegal refinery site at Sara Creek and Ekpemu Community in Warri South West LGA, Delta State.

 He said during the raid, the patrol team destroyed 50 cooking points, 9 Cotonou boat containing large quantities of suspected stolen crude oil and about 1000 jerry cans of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).

 He also said NNS Pathfinder patrol team raided an illegal refinery site around Ogu-bolo and Degema LGAs of Rivers State and destroyed five  illegal refineries as well as one Cotonou boat carrying 50 drums of illegally refined AGO.

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