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Tag: rivers

  • POS transactions records 29.3% growth, hit N4.6 trillion in 7 months

    POS transactions records 29.3% growth, hit N4.6 trillion in 7 months

    The value of cashless transactions made via Point of Sales, POS in Nigeria recorded a huge leap from January to July 2022 as the figures hit N4.6 trillion.

    According to data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), the figure, when compared to N3.56 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2021, represents a 29.3% increase and when compared to the value of POS transactions in 2020 represents a 90.3% increase.

    Also, the volume of transactions rose by 25% year-on-year from N543.7 million to N679.8 million in the same period.

    This increment confirms the gradual acceptance of cashless transactions within the Nigerian commercial sphere.

    POS transactions have been selected as the mode of transferring and sometimes, receiving cash within the last five years as Nigerians have differed in the mode of transaction due to the convenience it offers compared to the time they would have spent in the bank.

    POS usage as a means of financial transactions peaked during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 when major financial institutions had completely shut down their services.

    Within the period, data from NIBSS revealed that over 380 million PoS payment platforms were registered in Nigeria, which translated to a total transaction value of N2.8 trillion.

    The locations noted to have the highest share of the PoS transactions were the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Rivers, Oyo and Delta states.

    Apart from making withdrawals, PoS has also served as a means of sending cash as the process has become the closest means to accessing banking products as most customers in rural areas with no access to banking facilities have found the use of the service convenient.

    It has also served as a means of employment as most youths have engaged themselves in the business due to its profitability and very low running costs.

  • Our support for NYSC, a token of appreciation – Gov. Wike

    Our support for NYSC, a token of appreciation – Gov. Wike

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Thursday said the government was determined to improve facilities owned by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Rivers.

    Wike disclosed this while inaugurating the 5,000-capacity ultra-modern auditorium that the state government built for the NYSC at Nonwa-Gbam in Tai Local Government Area.

    He said that youth corps members should not be accommodated in facilities that dehumanise them while serving the state.

    According to him, what matters to the state government is the services the youth corps members are rendering to the people.

    “We would do everything we can to make them comfortable,” he said.

    Wike said with the new auditorium, corps members and their officials would be comfortable whenever their coordinator or the director-general wanted to address them.

    In his speech, the Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Fadah, thanked the governor for his magnanimity and named it “Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Hall.’

    Fadah explained that there was no other NYSC camp in the country that had such auditorium built by the Rivers Government.

    He said that Wike had done a lot for the NYSC, adding that the occasion offered him an opportunity to appreciate his numerous people-oriented projects.

    “You renovated corps’ hostels and official residences and the multi-purpose hall.

    “You constructed drainages, you reconstructed the burnt dinning hall, you restored the payment of monthly allowances of corps members serving in Rivers State.

    “You restored payment of running cost to the secretariat,  among other support,” he said.

    Mr Deinma Iyalla, Commissioner for Special Projects, said the auditorium’s gallery could accommodate 2,500 people and the ground level also accommodating 2,500 people.

    Iyalla said the auditorium has four multi-media screens, a computerised public address system, nine offices, two boardrooms and two changing rooms.

  • I’m now a member of SDP – Abe declares

    I’m now a member of SDP – Abe declares

    Former representative of Rivers South-East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has declared that he is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and very committed to the growth of internal democracy in the politics of Nigeria.

    Abe, in a statement he personally signed and posted on his Facebook page said, such ideals have driven his style of politics over the years.

    The prominent Rivers grassroots politician had left the APC to seek solid political relevance in the SDP.

    The statement reads in parts: “Yes I am and I have been a member of the social Democratic Party SDP.

    “I remain irrevocably committed to the ideals that have driven my politics through the years. And will continue to do all we can to improve internal democracy in the politics of our country and focus on the people”.

  • Labour Party ‘ll takeover Rivers in 2023 – Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo

    Labour Party ‘ll takeover Rivers in 2023 – Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo

    Hilda Dokubo, a popular Nollywood Actress and Labour Party (LP) candidate for Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru Federal Constituency seat in Rivers, has expressed optimism that the party will takeover the state in 2023.

    Dokubo said this on Thursday in Port Harcourt at the party’s stakeholders meeting, when she reacted to insinuations by some individuals that the party lacked viable structure to win the 2023 election in the state.

    She said that the meeting was aimed at positioning the party for victory at the 2023 general election.

    “Individuals are the structures of every political party and we have our teaming supporters here in the state,” Dokubo said.

    Mr Etete Ekeneoriono, the party’s candidate for Andoni State Constituency seat, advised youths in rural communities to participate in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in order to beat the July 31 deadline.

    Ekeneoriono also urged residents of fishing communities in Andoni Local Area (LGA) of the state to utilise their voting power in 2023 for a better Nigeria.

    He said that the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) was the most powerful instrument in the country’s electoral system, hence the need to utilise the remaining days to get registered.

    “The party has engaged in wide voter sensitisation tagged “Get Your PVC” in all parts of the state especially in rural communities.

    “The 2023 election is about the future of youths and our dear country; the only instrument available to us as we work toward rebranding the country is our PVCs,” Ekeneoriono said.

  • ‘I’m still part of Tinubu’s family’ – Abe speaks after leaving APC

    ‘I’m still part of Tinubu’s family’ – Abe speaks after leaving APC

    Former Rivers Southeast Senator, Magnus Ngei Abe, has said he is still part of the family of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu after leaving the party.

    Featuring on TVC on Wednesday, Abe maintained that he left to seek his fortune elsewhere.

    The Senator, who is a former ally of ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, insisted that although he has left the party, the purported letter of resignation circulating online does not originate from him.

    He said: “I have since left the APC in Rivers State but the letter circulating round is not from me. I am still part of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s family and have no issues with him whatsoever.

    “I am a part of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political family, and I’m also part of his own family, and that is a very separate thing from the politics of Rivers State.

    “Yesterday, there were some funny letters circulating on the internet that I have resigned from the APC because Asiwaju refused to intervene in the politics of Rivers State; that is ridiculous. All politics is local, I have no interest whatsoever in the APC in Rivers State.

    “When people talk about resignation, how do I resign from the party I don’t even know who the ward chairman is, so I couldn’t have written a letter to people that I don’t know, what I know from the Constitution of the APC, and the constitution of the country is that there are several means by which you leave the party, and one of the means is by way of resignation. So resignation is just one of the ways that are available for members to leave the party.

    “You can leave by resignation, you can leave by death, you can withdraw your membership, you can join another political party, the way the APC is sinking in Rivers State it makes no sense for any politician that has a serious political interest in the State to remain in the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

    “I have no stake in the APC in Rivers State, I don’t know anybody that is in the entire executive of the APC in all the 319 wards in the State. I don’t even know who my ward chairman is nor do I know any ward ex-officio or officer of the party. I don’t have anybody who is running for any office in the APC in Rivers State that I know, except Asiwaju who is running for President.

    “I have absolutely no stake in the party in Rivers State and all politics at the end of the day is local. And so it will be irresponsible of me to stay in the APC in Rivers State and support a party in which I have no stake in their victory.

    “So it is clear to everybody who is watching the politics of this country that my future in the politics of Rivers State is not tied to the All Progressives Congress and so it is clear that I’m no longer a member of the APC in Rivers State as far as that goes, but the purported letter flying around wasn’t authored by me and I know absolutely nothing about it. And, it does not reflect my views and my opinions as far as the politics of Rivers State is concerned.

    “I have said in the coming days a lot of things will unfold but the issue of me and the APC in Rivers State I think that was decided a long time ago.

    “I don’t know why people are still speculating and writing letters on an issue that I have made public a long time ago that I’m not part of the APC as far as Rivers State is concerned”.

  • Wike was technically rigged out of PDP primaries – Aguma reveals

    Wike was technically rigged out of PDP primaries – Aguma reveals

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike was technically rigged out of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Igo Aguma revealed.

    Aguma, a former Chairman of the Rivers All Progressives Congress, APC, who is now a member of PDP made the revelation during an interview in Port Harcourt.

    He said, “We were poised to win. We were technically rigged out. We saw a proper conspiracy. When they had said everybody was given 5 minutes to talk and we now saw a long interlude, the next thing we heard is there is a special announcement to be made and his Excellency, Governor Tambuwal walked out and made an announcement, stepping down for Atiku, making a speech longer than 5 minutes, that’s the rigging. It was choreographed.

    “Technically, the stepping down and ability to announce it has a sweeping effect. If he was to go there and communicate that he was stepping down, it won’t go round. And then the stepping down, the way it was announced and the speech that preceded it was as though there was a directive from somewhere.

    “One thing that has come out from there is that our experience has become deep and wide. We have come to understand how divided this country actually is. We have come to understand that we in the South-South do have a long way to go.

    “If we use to think that the South-East has an issue, we the South-South have a serious issue”.

  • Tonye Cole emerges Rivers APC governorship flag bearer

    Tonye Cole emerges Rivers APC governorship flag bearer

    The Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gave its governorship ticket to Mr Tonye Cole in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

    Cole polled 986 votes to win the ticket at the party’s primary election, having defeated Mr Ojukai Flagamakere, who placed second with 190 votes and Mr Sukonte Davids who got 49 votes.

    Mr Larry Ode, the Returning Officer at the election declared Cole the winner and said other contestants, Mr Michael West got 43 votes, while Mr Benald Miku got two votes and Sen. Magnus Abe, one vote.

    In his acceptance speech, Cole expressed gratitude to Mr Chibuike Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, for believing that he had the capacity to give good governance to the people of Rivers.

    He also thanked all the delegates who also believed in his capacity.

    Cole called on Sen. Abe and other former aspirants to join hands and work with him to deliver Rivers to the APC at the 2023 general elections.

    Earlier, Sen. Abe said he did not withdraw from the contest as earlier rumoured, but decided not to participate because the indirect primary election option chosen did not meet the standard of the process.

  • 2023: It’s not about myself or ambition – Dr Dakuku Peterside

    2023: It’s not about myself or ambition – Dr Dakuku Peterside

    Former lawmaker and Director General of MIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside on Tuesday said the Rivers guber race is not about himself or his personal ambition.

    Peterside made this humble submission when his Rivers people welcomed him home in his state.

    Hear him: “My dear Rivers People, and especially members of our great party – APC.

    I want to thank you all for coming out in your numbers, in solidarity, to welcome me home .

    “I truly appreciate your support over the years. I will never take your loyalty to our shared vision for granted.

    “A lot has happened in the last couple of days. There have been a myriad of actions and reactions and many of you have been troubled.

    “Most of you who know me, and I believe the majority have followed my decisions in the past, acknowledge the fact that the greater interest of Rivers State will always guide my actions. It has never been about my self or my ambition.

    ” I am a team player and a result of the moral, material, and spiritual contributions of family and friends.
    Conscious of the place of history and posterity in political choices, I have come back to the people to consult since it is the people who gave me impetus to aspire in the first place.

    “This is a critical phase in my aspiration because I know that I carry the dreams and aspirations of many with me. One thing I can assure you is that I will act with the best interest of our party, our state, and our nation at heart. It will not be about my personal ambition.

    May God bless Rivers State.

  • Wike declares rep member, Fara Dagogo wanted

    Wike declares rep member, Fara Dagogo wanted

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has declared Mr Farah Dagogo wanted for alleged hiring of cultists to attack the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt.

    Wike disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen by Mr Kelvin Ebiri, Special Assistant to Governor on media in Port Harcourt.

    The Governor has directed the Rivers State Police Command to arrest Mr Farah Dagogo, a member of the House of Representatives from Degema Bonny constituency.

    Wike stated that Farah Dagogo allegedly hired cultists who stormed the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt and disrupted the screening of aspirants for various elective positions.

    “The Police must, as a matter of urgency arrest Farah Dagogo, wherever he is, and must be made to face prosecution.

    “Already, some of the hoodlums hired by Farah Dagogo have been arrested and will be made to face the full wrath of the law,” the statement said.

  • Scores burnt beyond recognition as explosion rocks illegal refinery in Rivers

    Scores burnt beyond recognition as explosion rocks illegal refinery in Rivers

    Scores of people were on Saturday burnt beyond recognition following an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in Rivers.

    Mr Idris Musa, Director-General, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), who confirmed the incident said investigation into the explosion by the agency is underway.

    “There was an explosion at an artisanal refining site in Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area, Rivers State, earlier today. The incident claimed several lives, especially those engaged in the illegal oil refining and bunkering.

    “The incident is still under investigation even though the raging inferno has subsided.

    “That area is one of the oil theft prone locations.

    “An incident similar to this happened in 2020 in that axis. Further updates on the incident would be announced while necessary action is being taken to forestall any further ugly situation,” Musa said.