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South-South: COLD WAR IN RIVERS LGSC OVER APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

The appointment of a successor to the immediate past chairman of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini, who resigned his office recently is creating ripples in the commission and has set both the principal officers of the commission, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) at war with each other.

Sources said that activities at the commission have been stagnated as the principal officers cannot agree on who is the rightful officer to step into the shoes of the resigned Ikwerre high chief, who preferred to abandon his exalted position to joining Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in his defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Sequel to his resignation, the SSG, George Feyii reportedly directed that the honourable Commissioner of Ministry of Local Government Affairs be handling all matters of the commission pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.

This directive was issued late last year.

But no sooner was it delivered than a counter letter was issued in February this year, suspending the earlier directive and re-ordering that for the need to ensure administrative orderliness, the Commissioner I, in the commission rather than the LGA Commissioner be asked to function as acting chairman until a new substantive chairman was appointed.

Consequently, the LGA Commissioner, Samuel Eyiba wrote back to the LGSC on the new development and instructed accordingly, that Commissioner I, Hon. Smith Sunny Nwiyor should be functioning in acting capacity as the chairman of the commission, and appealed that necessary co-operation be accorded him to stabilize the administration of the commission until a substantive chairman was appointed.

This letter did not, however, go down well with the arrowheads of the commission who wasted no time in rejecting both the directive and the controversial appointee, Nwiyor.

The past four weeks has been a season of letter writing between the parties. And as it is, there is confusion in the commission as to who is directly in charge as things keep falling apart and the centre can no longer hold.

 

HON. BASSEY EWA GIVES OUT DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE

EWA BASSEY EKO
EWA BASSEY EKO

Hon. Bassey Ewa, the House of Representatives member representing Yakurr/Abi Federal Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Gas Resources, two weeks back handed out his beautiful daughter, Rose Innocent Egede in marriage to her heartthrob, George Eze Ewa. And it was a gathering of the high and mighty from Abuja and Calabar.

The wedding held place at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mega Flourishing Parish, Ikot Enim, while the reception was at the Venetian Palace, on the high-brow Murtala Muhammed Highway in Calabar.

In attendance were the CRS Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, Mr. Fidelis Ugbo, the Secretary of the National Planning Commission and several members of the House of Representatives including Hon. Bamanga Ture, Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum, Hon. Owan Enoh, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Daniel Asuquo, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Hon. Frank Adah, representing Bekwara/Obudu/Obanlikwu, Hon. Chris Eta, representing Etung/Obubra Federal Constituency amongst others.

The officiating minister was Pastor Adediran, while the chairman of the superlative reception was Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong, the Chairman/CEO of Davandy Group.

 

THE SAD STORY OF EX-DELTA FOOTBALLER, PETER IMOGENE

In his hey-days, he was a man full of life, but today, the world has turned against him due to a strange sickness that he has been battling for two years. The sickness has equally turned him to a beggar on the streets of Akure as that is the only way he could raise money to survive.

This is the exact story of an ex-footballer, Mr. Peter Imogene, an indigene of Abraka in Delta State, who has been paralyzed with a swollen leg after he had stroke while on his way from Bauchi to his home town, alongside his immediate family.

Since then, things have been very difficult for Imogene, who is now 57. In his playing days, around the 70s, he prominently featured in the then Nigerian Football League for clubs like Bendel Insurance, Ibadan Water Corporation and Calabar Rovers; and later a coach in some football clubs in Bauchi.

A father of five children, with the eldest child born in 1984, and husband to three wives, lost everything he had. The family abandoned him the moment he became ill.

And none of them, who sources said are in Delta State, has made any attempt to search for him. Today, he has become the ‘Landlord’ of one of the new bus stops built by Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration around the State Library on Oyemekun Road in Akure.

This is where he stays and also sleeps at night. He remains there during the rainy or dry season, begging passers-by for money just for him to keep soul and body together.

And despite his challenges, Imogene ensures he picks all the dirt at the bus stop and makes the place tidy. He sleeps on an empty carton at night.

 

REAL REASON GOVERNOR DICKSON SACKED SEVEN COMMISSIONERS LAST WEEK

Seriake dickson
Seriake dickson

It is no longer news that on Thursday, March 27, Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson dropped seven commissioners from his cabinet.

The affected cabinet members included Francis Egele, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Ayakeme Massa, Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry and Dr Anapurere Michael Awoli, Commissioner for Health.

Others were Nelson Belief, Commissioner for Tourism Development; Gesiye Isowo, Commissioner for Special Duties-Federal Projects; Parkinson Macmanuel, Commissioner for Science, Technology and Manpower Development, as well as Dr Sylvanus Abila, Commissioner for Environment.

According to Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the governor’s spokesperson, “The reorganisation of the machinery of government was for improved service delivery in the execution of programmes and policies.”

And that the redeployment of cabinet officers was a continuous exercise in the state and directed the affected former commissioners to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their respective ministries.

But some political pundits around the Creek Haven Bayelsa Government House and the amebos along the corridors of power in the oil-rich state said there is more to what the eyes see.

A top source volunteered that aside some of them that habour dreams and ambitions for 2015, top intelligence reports had gotten to the state chief executive that one or two of his commissioners were not only having clandestine and nocturnal meetings with the opposition, but actually funding some of their activities.

The details are still sketchy, and the moment we can add some flesh to the skeleton of the rumours, we shall let you know. It is a promise.

 

LAST WORD

A husband working in UK wrote to his wife in India. ”Dear Sunita Darling, I can’t send you my salary this month because the global market crisis has affected my company’s performance, so I am sending 100 kisses. You are my sweetheart, please understand and adjust with this situation. Your loving husband.”

His wife replied, ”Hey hubby. Thanks for the 100 kisses. Below is the list of expenses I paid with the kisses; the milk-man agreed on 2 kisses for one month’s milk; the electricity man, agreed not to disconnect only after 7 kisses; your landlord comes every day to take 2 or 3 kisses instead of the monthly rent; the supermarket owner did not accept kisses only, so I gave him other items, I hope you understand; and miscellaneous expenses gulped 40 kisses.Please don’t worry about me, I still have a balance of 35 kisses and I hope I can survive the month using this balance. Shall I plan the same for the next month?”

Have a fun-filled week ahead.

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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