News

Rivers Elders Reject Tinubu’s Intervention, Say Decisions Executive Rascality

Published

2 years ago

December 20, 2023

Rivers State elders and leaders including a former Governor, Chief Rufus Ada-George, and former Deputy Governor, Gabriel Toby, have rejected President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the political crisis rocking the state.

The elders expressed worry that the intervention may have worsened the crisis in the state.

They stated this in a communiqué read to newsmen after an emergency meeting on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, in response to the presidential directive aimed at resolving the political crisis in the state.

They said though they had previously called on the President to intervene in the feud between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and the state Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, they are at a loss as to whether his ‘intervention has solved the problem or escalated it’.

The communiqué was signed by former military administrators of the state, Godwin Abbey and Ibim Princewill, former spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Sara-Igbe, second Republic Senator, Bennett Birabi, and Niger Delta activist, Ms. Annkio Briggs, among others.

The elders, according to the communiqué, said Tinubu’s directives for the resolution of the political impasse in the state contravened the constitution which he swore to uphold at all times.

It reads, “The directives unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by virtue of an attempt to reverse a court order recognising Edison Ehie as the speaker and directing that the remainder of members of the House of Assembly constituted the quorum for legislative business.

“That the directive also contravenes the hallowed doctrine and practice of separation of lowers, particularly as it affects the responsibility of the judiciary.

“Can Mr President or the executive arm of government overrule the decisions of courts of competent jurisdiction?

“This portends executive rascality which undermines our constitutional democracy, rule of law and good governance.

“The directives to the parties were one-sided in favour of Chief Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and at the detriment of the Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, and the good people of Rivers State.

“In the eyes of the law and due process, as evidenced by the Rivers State High Court decision, Martins Amaewhule and his team have ceased to exist in the state House of Assembly having defected to another political party, and therefore cannot be reinstated and remunerated through the back door.

“It is the duty of the xxecutive arm of government to provide accommodation for legislators in a constitutional democracy as exemplified by the FCT minister with respect to the National Assembly.

“It is therefore, hypocritical to suggest, that the Rivers State House of Assembly under Martins Amaewhule could sit anywhere of their choice, whereas, in Abuja, it is the FCT Minister, on behalf of the executive arm that provides accommodation for federal legislators”

They also argued that the directive to re-present the budget passed and signed into law is an attempt to ridicule and denigrate the office of the governor and the good people of the state, including the judiciary.

They added, “In public administration parlance, a person can exit service either by resignation, sack, voluntary retirement or death. It is therefore preposterous for the President to direct that the people who have exited service for personal reasons be re-absorbed.

“The Forum enjoined all responsible citizens of Rivers State to rise up in this our moment of truth, to salvage the soul of Rivers State. Our fathers fought for the creation of Rivers State, we will stand to defend it.

“When injustice and criminality become law and a way of life in the polity, resistance becomes a duty.

“Finally, the Forum condemns in its entirety, the directives for the resolution of the political crisis in Rivers State. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy where only the courts can order the reversal of acts done or carried out under the provisions of the law.

“Therefore any resolution or directive that intends to undermine the principle of separation of powers and the rule of law is unacceptable, null and void and will be resisted, using all constitutional means at our disposal.”

News

Nestle Sacks CEO Over Office Romance

Published

14 minutes ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Swiss food giant, Nestle, on Monday dismissed Laurent Freixe as chief executive with immediate effect over an “undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.”

The multinational behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars said Freixe’s dismissal followed an investigation.

In a swift move, Nespresso CEO, Philipp Navratil, was appointed to take over by his fellow board members.

“The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestle’s code of business conduct,” a statement said.

The board said it had ordered an investigation overseen by chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with the support of outside counsel.

“This was a necessary decision. Nestle’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service,” Bulcke said in a statement.

A company veteran, Freixe joined Nestle in France in 1986. He ran the firm’s European operations until 2014, steering them through the subprime and euro crises that began in 2008.

He headed the Latin America division before his promotion as CEO.

Freixe had only been in the top spot since a surprise switch in September 2024, entrusted with reversing soft spending by consumers for the company’s food and household goods.

Nestle’s share price slumped by nearly a quarter last year, raising concerns in Switzerland, where pension funds invest heavily in the company, whose brands also include Purina dog food, Maggi bouillon cubes, Gerber baby food and Nesquik chocolate-flavoured drinks.

Nestle shares closed up 0.13 percent at 75.49 Swiss francs on the Swiss stock exchange.

– Net profits –

In late July, Nestle reported a 10.3-percent drop in first half profits as it struggled to turn around its fortunes amid sluggish consumer spending in China, even as it passed on higher cocoa and coffee prices to consumers.

New chief executive Navratil had been an executive vice-president at Nestle, which is headquartered in Vevey on Lake Geneva.

“The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance,” insisted chairman Bulcke.

Navratil started his career with Nestle in 2001 and took on various roles in Central America, leading the coffee and beverage business in Mexico from 2013 to 2020, when he took over responsibility for global strategy and innovation for the Nescafe and Starbucks brands.

He became chief executive of the Nespresso brand in July last year and joined the company board in January 2025.

“I fully embrace the company’s strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestle’s performance,” said Navratil, pledging to “drive the value creation plan with intensity.”

News

Published

32 minutes ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, are currently meeting with the minister at his official residence in Abuja.

The meeting, which began at 8.40pm, has entered a closed-door session.

Among the top-ranking members of the party present are the National Secretary of the PDP, Sam Anyanwu; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih; and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

News

VIDEO: Motorists Stranded As Bridge Fails On Lagos-Benin Expressway

Published

40 minutes ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Motorists and passengers were stranded for hours after a truck fell near a failed portion of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river beneath and rendering the route impassable.

A viral video from the scene showed queues of trapped vehicles as frustrated road users called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently repair the dilapidated sections of the highway.

One stranded passenger, who was filmed in the video, lamented that the incident left commuters stuck for over two hours, halting both vehicular movement and the flow of goods.

He said, “I’m currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.

“This truck fell here, and there’s no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.”

The visibly frustrated commuter revealed the deteriorating state of the bridge, pointing to exposed sections above the river, which he described as a threat to lives and businesses.

He criticised the Federal Government’s focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing Umahi of neglecting critical economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

“This is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos – Calabar Highway,” he said.

“This is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As I’m speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.

“This road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didn’t fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.”

He further argued that the Lagos-Benin Expressway carries more economic importance than the Lagos-Calabar Highway, urging the minister to prioritise repairs.

He said, “Mr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeria’s economy. But that Calabar Expressway, it’s not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you won’t see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.

“I see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we don’t use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.”

The video has gained the attention of concerned citizens on social media, some of whom describe the road as a “death trap” and joined in calling for quick intervention on the road.

Watch video below:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1962577345832714466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1962577345832714466%7Ctwgr%5Edf307ccd0eb71fe84e2d24b726307513398112b3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpunchng.com%2Fvideo-motorists-stranded-as-bridge-fails-on-lagos-benin-expressway%2F