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Wike Chides Rivers Elders For Faulting Tinubu’s Intervention, Backing Fubara
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned residents of Rivers State against getting involved in any political conflict without knowing the causes.
He also faulted some elders of the state for faulting President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis between him and the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The minister spoke on Sunday while addressing the congregation during a thanksgiving and marriage anniversary of the immediate past Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr Des George-Kelly, at the Kings’ Assembly in Port Harcourt.
Wike lampooned elders of the state who recently said Tinubu did not have constitutional powers in the manner he handled the political crisis in the state.
He said, “Let me tell the church, you know blackmail is the easiest thing. So many of you may be believing what is going on. So many of you may also follow on the road without knowing where you are heading.
READ ALSO: Rivers Crisis: No Amount Too Big For Peace – Fubara
“If I were you, sit down and ask yourself can this be true? But just because we are no longer in power you may want to believe everything they have said. Power and money if you are not careful can destroy you. It can also make, depending on how you handle it.”
Wike said he has never done anything that will bring Rivers State backward, saying, it was during his tenure as governor that he fought so many states to bring back our oil wells.
He added, “The money accruing from those oil wells today is not in my pocket but for the interest of the state.
“To show character, when I was here I never went to see the Federal Government. I was the only opposition to the federal government. I challenged them.
“That is how you know people when they say they want to do something and they do it. I’m not a man that you can convince just because of a porridge of yam, no. it is not possible.
READ ALSO: Rivers Elders Reject Moves To Impeach Fubara, Seek Tinubu’s Intervention
“Don’t get involved in any fight between two politicians without knowing the root cause.”
Continuing, the FCT Minister said, “In any facet of life, there are rules and they must be obeyed. As a pastor, there are rules you must follow. So as politicians, we must follow rules.
“While I was governor I followed those rules, and that’s why I was able to succeed.
“When I was running for governor in 2014/2015, I was invited that some elders wanted to see me. When I got there, I saw only two people. Just two of them constituted themselves as elders over the whole state.
“They said elders of the state have decided that I should not contest the election. I said it must be a joke. Now they’ve come back again as elders.
“Check everyone there, some of them their sons lost the election. Everybody wants to take their pound of flesh. ‘Wike prevented me from this. Wike made me not to be that. Wike made me not to be that.’ Even those that Wike made have joined them.”
READ ALSO: Tinubu Threatened, Imposed Resolution On Fubara, Says Ex-Rivers Commissioner
While warning against propaganda, he expressed dismay that the same group of elders who were calling on the President to wade into the crisis were the ones now faulting his intervention.
“You are the ones who said the President should intervene. Now the President has come to bring peace, you said no, you don’t have the constitutional powers.
“All of us must love this state but don’t listen to propaganda. There is nothing I’m looking for in this state now. I have my own budget as FCT Minister. I have my own commissioners.
“All I’m saying is if you are a politician play according to the rules.”
He said those bringing in ethnic sentiments were ill-informed, saying, “All of us in this state irrespective of where you come from know this state belongs to all of us. There is nothing like Ijaw, there is nothing like Ikwerre. All I know is Rivers State.
READ ALSO: Labour Party Drops Petition Against Fubara
“If you want to settle us, set out the facts. Don’t just be shouting asawana (a popular solidarity mantra). No, because when we were choosing who would rule you never shouted ‘asawana’
“Now they’re carrying flags and shouting asawana up and down. Are you people aware that Mr President actually called us privately and told us what to do, he didn’t do it and now Mr President then said okay, the larger house should come and they’re saying he does not have the constitutional right to do that. I have subjected myself to the peace process.”
He described George-Kelly as reliable and dependable, saying he is one that delivers when a task is assigned to him.
In attendance were some of the 27 lawmakers believed to be loyal to Wike as well as some of the commissioners who recently resigned from Fubara’s cabinet.
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News
Police Urge Bauchi Residents To Remain Calm Amidst Soldier’s Death In Bauchi
Published
3 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
The Police in Bauchi state has called on all the residents of the state to remain calm after a soldier was shot dead by a police officer in the state.
CSP Ahmed Wakil, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) made the call on behalf of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Sani Omolori-Aliyu.
According to him, Inter-agency security forces have initiated a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident which led to the death of the soldier.
The PPRO recalled how a blogger narrated the incident that a member of the Nigerian Army attached to 33 Artillery Brigade was fatally shot while attempting to intercept a truck suspected of transporting solid minerals from an illegal mining site in Futuk, Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state by a mobile police Inspector on illegal duty.
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“The blogger also said that the incident occurred on August 25 at about 7:50 p.m. when personnel from the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, purportedly stopped a truck with the registration number Gombe 676-BLG at a checkpoint in Futuk village.
“The report further added that the truck driver refused to comply, prompting the Guard Commander, Master Warrant Officer, Ali Haruna, now deceased, to pursue the vehicle with his team on motorbikes until they managed to intercept it.
“That upon stopping the truck, Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim, a mobile police officer, exited his vehicle and opened fire on the Guard Commander, striking him in the abdomen.
“The blogger added that the soldiers at the scene overpowered the policeman and disarmed him. The injured officer was transported to the Gombe Specialist Hospital for urgent medical attention, but tragically succumbed to the gunshot wound,” said the PPRO.
READ ALSO:
He however, explained that preliminary investigations, revealed that the truck is associated with Guruje Mining Company Limited and ZURFI Company Limited, which possessed valid legal licenses in Gwana, Alkaleri LGA.
He said that this authorisation pertained to the extraction of lead and zinc minerals, which was obtained from the Mining Cadastre Office, Federal Republic of Nigeria, effective from 12th May 2023.
Wakil added that the companies have complied with all mining operational protocols of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007 and possessed a certificate of incorporation pursuant to the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 2020.
READ ALSO:Bumper Harvest: Foundation Distributes 6,000 Fertilizers To Farmers In Bauchi
“The mobile police officers attached to these companies were formally requested and approved to provide security for the safety of expatriate workers and fulfil other security responsibilities associated with the company. Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim was among those assigned to this duty.
“The company successfully extracted a substantial quantity of lead and zinc minerals, which were proposed for export, and relevant fees as revenue paid to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, referenced by RRR code 3212-7561-4841.
“The Bauchi state Police command has constituted an investigation team of experienced detectives in collaboration with the Nigerian Army military police and are tasked with collecting and assessing all relevant information surrounding the incident’s remote and immediate causes,” Wakil said.
News
How Becoming Bank Manager At 27 Changed My Life, Tony Elumelu Urges Trust In Africa’s Youths
Published
4 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
Prominent African businessman and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, has reflected on the defining moment of his early career when he was appointed a bank branch manager at just 27 years old.
In a post shared on his LinkedIn page on Tuesday, Elumelu recounted how his appointment at AllStates Trust Bank changed the trajectory of his life and shaped his passion for empowering young people.
“When I was 27, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime: I became a branch manager at AllStates Trust Bank, a young bank in Nigeria.
“Banking was beginning to change the country, it was the sector to be in, ripe for transformation, ready for disruption, for democratisation.
READ ALSO:EFCC Arraigns Six Katsina Revenue, Bank Workers Over N1.2bn Fraud
“At that time, few believed a 27-year-old could successfully lead a bank branch. But that opportunity changed the entire course of my life.
“It gave me confidence. It gave me a platform. Most importantly, it gave me perspective,” he wrote.
Elumelu, who is the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and chairs Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa, noted that his journey began not with financial capital but with trust.
His post continued, “That’s why today, I am passionate about giving young people the same chance I was given. Because I know what’s possible when someone believes in you early.
“This belief is at the heart of everything we do at The Tony Elumelu Foundation. It’s why we invest in young African entrepreneurs – because someone once invested in me.
READ ALSO:EFCC Arraigns Bankers, Accomplices For Alleged N8.5bn Fraud
“My journey didn’t begin with capital. It began with trust. Let’s keep believing in Africa’s youth. They are ready to lead, grow and transform our continent.”
In a follow-up post on X on Friday, the business leader further highlighted three lessons from his experience as a young bank manager.
“Shared recently on my LinkedIn page how I became a bank manager at just 27. I got a lot of questions. One stood out: How could someone so young handle such responsibility?
“Many doubted a young man could lead a bank branch. That chance changed the entire course of my life,” he wrote.
READ ALSO:Sealing Spree: FCTA Sledge Hammer Hits FIRS Office, Bank, Fuel Station, Others
Outlining the lessons from his journey, Elumelu wrote, “Lesson 1: Age is not a barrier. If you can execute, are hungry to learn, and committed to results — you can lead at any age. Leadership is about clarity of vision and that discipline to execute.
“Lesson 2: The most powerful capital is trust. My journey didn’t start with money — it started with trust. Trust was the seed that propelled everything else. Give young people trust, and they will surprise you. I was trusted, I repaid that trust.”
In the third lesson, Elumelu explained why perspective matters in leadership.
He wrote, “Leadership is not about doing everything yourself. It is about empowering, setting direction, and providing clarity. The sooner you learn this, the faster you grow.
READ ALSO:Outrage As Bank Insists Bedridden 96-year-old Woman Must Appear For ID Verification
“That’s why today, I am passionate about giving young people the same chance I was given. Cascading luck. Catalysing opportunity.”
Elumelu said these principles continue to drive his commitment to youth empowerment through his foundation.
“It is the reason we invest in Africa’s youths at the #TonyElumeluFDN, because someone once invested in me,” he wrote.
“My story is proof that when we trust in our youths, they are ready to lead, grow, and transform our continent. Let’s keep believing in Africa’s youths,” he concluded.

Human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has filed a lawsuit against Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which was shared by Ogun on Friday via his facebook page, he said the governor’s decision to block him since 2021 was triggered by his “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” over the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre,” Ogun wrote.
According to him, being blocked has deprived him of access to vital information.
READ ALSO:DSS Charges Nine Over Benue, Plateau Massacres
“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.
In his originating summons cited by The PUNCH, the lawyer asked the court to declare the action unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
According to the lawsuit, Ogun said he sought “a declaration that, as a democratically-elected public office holder in Nigeria, the Respondent (@jidesanwoolu)’s blocking of the Applicant (@mrfestusogun), a citizen of Nigeria and resident of Lagos State, on X (formerly ‘Twitter’) is wrongful, unconstitutional, arbitrary and constitutes a gross.”
He further prayed the court to compel Sanwo-Olu to unblock him, issue a public apology, and stop targeting critics online.
READ ALSO:UK Bans Sanex Advert For Calling Black Skin ‘Problematic’, White Skin ‘Superior’
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent, his agents, privies or any other person or entity acting through or on his behalf, from further blocking the Applicant on X or any other social media platform,” the suit read.
Ogun, who described himself as “haunted, traumatised and emotionally disturbed,” stressed that the matter went beyond his personal grievance. “This suit is not just about me. I have filed this lawsuit in furtherance of public interest and with the hope that it sets a precedent in our digital rights jurisprudence,” he said.
The lawyer also invited the court to take guidance from a 2019 ruling in the United States.
“I invited the Nigerian court to be persuaded by the decision of the US District Court in Knight First Amendment Institute v Trump where President Trump was found to be in violation of the 1st Amendment when he blocked US citizens for criticising him on Twitter,” he stated.
Ogun argued that intolerance to opposing views undermines democracy. “Intolerance to criticism and accountability is unconstitutional and undemocratic. Nigerian authorities continue to crack down on dissents, critics, journalists, bloggers and vocal citizens on social media using arrests, detention, surveillance, collusion with big techs and outright blocking, as weapons. That narrative must stop,” he warned.
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