Headlines
Fubara, Wike tango with Yuletide rice in Rivers
The political crisis in Rivers State may be experiencing a lull going into the yuletide, but there are important takeaways. There is no gainsaying the fact that the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the feud between the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his estranged political godfather and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, which eventually culminated in an eight-point resolution has calmed frayed nerves at least for now.
Although Fubara and Wike have both pledged commitment to implement the presidential resolution, their body language is saying otherwise.
For example, Wike, while attending the wedding anniversary of his associate and immediate past Commissioner for Works, Dr. Des George-Kelly at the Kings Assembly in Port Harcourt, shortly before Christmas, blamed his successor for the political crisis, insisting that he has failed to play by the rules of the game (politics) and urged people of the state not to involve themselves in a fight they know nothing about.
He stated, “Don’t get involved in any fight between two politicians without knowing the cause.
“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.
“When I was governor, I followed those rules and that’s why I was able to succeed.”
On his part, Fubara, at his maiden state banquet at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on New Year’s Eve said those fighting him were after his ‘red biro,’ and boasted that he is still firmly in possession of the pen.
The governor added, “What they want is this red biro, but it is still with me. We are the winners, because we are still signing with the red biro.”
Interestingly, the cold war snowballed into the yuletide with the two political leaders trying to buy the heart of the people or at best, ensure that their support bases are intact, especially in the spirit of the season.
Rice is a major staple food in the country, especially against the backdrop of how expensive it is, many will appreciate it as a gift and this was exactly what happened.
Customized bags of rice bearing the bold faces of Governor Fubara and Wike adorned Port Harcourt and its environs, with suspected aides of the duo distributing same to various stakeholders and groups so much so that it has set off conversations in the social media.
In one of the pictures on the rice bags seen by South-South PUNCH reporter, Fubara adorned a native attire with a hat to match, while Wike is seen in suit, in what many indeed believed was his official portrait when he held sway as Governor.
South-South PUNCH gathered that Wike gave 2,000 bags of rice to each local government area of Rivers State, while Fubara was said to have given 100 bags of his own brand of rice to each ward in the state.
Some of the groups that have benefitted so far include some political party members, youth groups, market unions, non-indigenes, landlord associations and counting.
Commenting on the impasse and issues that came up, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 election in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, while speaking on a popular radio station, Super 93.3 FM, Port Harcourt faulted the sharing process.
Abe, who had just announced his return to the All Progressives Congress, advised Governor Fubara, “Let me criticise Governor Siminalayi Funara. He sent rice; that rice should go beyond the PDP. It should not be for PDP alone. Give PDP, give APC, give SDP, and give everybody.”
One of the notices of sharing by a landlords association in the outskirts of Port Harcourt obtained by our correspondent reads, “Greetings. We are sharing the rice Governor Sim Fubara gave the Ibos as Christmas palliative @ Tama Galaxy Event Centre Rumuodara, East-West Road, by Overcomers Bus Stop.” The notice carried other information including time and other instructions to the beneficiaries while coming for collection.
For the FCT Minister’s rice, the stakeholder groups were called and informed on phone of the gesture and the item taken to them at their preferred locations.
A Facebook user, simply identified as Clarkson Diri, wrote sarcastically on his page, ‘The bag of rice with red background is full of sand, stones and not suitable for eating. When you cook it, it will not rise, while the other bag of rice with a touch of gold is a wow. Stone-free, suitable for eating, smells good and above all, once you cook, boom it will rise and rise…’
Suggestive of who where they have pitched their tent in the political crisis, another Facebook user wrote on his page, ‘The deceiver giving Rivers people rice with evil intentions.’
However, finding by our reporter reveals that the two well-packaged bags of rice contained clean and stone-free rice, which is very suitable for consumption. After all, there has been no complaint from any stakeholder groups who have been enjoying the staple food gifted to them for whatever reason, just as many people are craving for it.
The post Fubara, Wike tango with Yuletide rice in Rivers appeared first on NewsNow Nigeria.
Education
1ST NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE ON UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ESSAY COMPETITION
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The SDG Youth Essay Competition offers a grand prize of N1 million for the top three winners, along with free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Competition Requirements:
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2. Entry Guidelines:
– Topic:The Role of Students in Attainment of SDG4
– length: Essays should be 1500 words.
– Entry Period: Thursday, February 1, 2024 – Thursday, February 29, 2024
– Referencing: APA Style (6th Edition).
– Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.
– Documentation: Typed in 1.5 line spacing, MS Word format only.
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Required Documents:
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– One recent passport-size photograph
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Deadline: February 29th, 2024
Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to achieving SDG4 and win exciting prizes. Submit your entry and required documents before the deadline. For any inquiries, feel free to contact them via phone or email.
Competition Overview:
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Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– The competition is open to 400-level and 500-level undergraduate law students in Nigerian universities.
2. Essay Requirements:
– Length: Essays should not exceed 1500 words.
– Format: Double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font.
– References: OSCOLA format for citations with 10pt font size for footnotes and endnotes.
– Submission Format: Essays must be submitted in PDF format.
– Entrant Details: Include full names, school, level, phone number, and email address in both the body of the email and on the last page of the essay.
– Single Entry: Each entrant is allowed only one submission.
– Originality: Plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.
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Topic:
The theme for the 2024 competition is “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology.” Participants are tasked with exploring strategies to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world.
Eligibility:
– Open to primary and secondary school students in Nigeria aged 9 to 16.
– Junior category (ages 9 to 12) essays must not exceed 1,000 words.
– Senior category (ages 13 to 16) essays must not exceed 1,500 words.
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– Winners will receive generous rewards, including a high-capacity laptop, premium headphones, a portable laptop stand, a smart wristwatch, and one year of internet data, among other items.
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Application Process:
– Interested candidates should access the application page
– Essays must be written in English and reflect original thought.
– Each participant is limited to one entry.
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– Deadline for submissions is April 12, 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
– All submissions must be in PDF format and include the student’s name, home and school addresses, email address, and contact phone number.
– Double entries will result in automatic disqualification.
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Notification of Winners:
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The SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition offers a unique opportunity for Nigerian students to demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving skills. By addressing the theme of online child protection, participants contribute to building a safer and more secure digital environment for all. We encourage eligible students to seize this opportunity and showcase their talent and ingenuity.
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