Okolobi Gist Specials

  NECO releases 2024 examination results for Unity schools. The 2024 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) results for admissions into JSS1 of the Federal Unity Colleges have been released. The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, who announced the results at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, July 16, said one candidate scored the highest mark of 203 in the examination Sununu said that of the 71,291 candidates who registered for the exams, 66,931 sat for the examination, while 4,360 were absent. “Out of the maximum obtainable score of 210, one candidate obtained the highest score of 203, while 13 candidates obtained the lowest score of one. “This year, an unprecedented number of 52 candidates (two candidates from Lagos State and 50 candidates from Rivers State) were involved in examination malpractice. “For the examination conducted for the Federal Government Academy  (FGA), 2,649 candidates registered for the examination, 2,336 candidates sat for the e...

Fubara charges exco members on procurement law Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has charged members of the State Executive Council to abide by the public procurement law. Fubara gave the charge during the Public Procurement Enlightenment Workshop organised by the Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Tuesday. At the event, the governor was conferred with the Champion for Exemplary Compliance to Public Procurement Law by the RSBoPP and it was presented by the Special Guest of Honour,Justice Mary Odili (rtd.). Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, the governor stressed the importance of public procurement to the commonwealth of the people. He said, “As the Bible says, let your light so shine before men that they may glorify your father in heaven. Let our good works shine before the people of Rivers State so that they can have cause to glorify God that indeed the government they have voted into offic...

  Paul Kagame secures 4th term as Rwanda President after 24 years in the position. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has won 99.15 percent of the votes from the country’s presidential election to secure a fourth term in office. Rwanda’s electoral body said only about 79 percent of ballots have been counted. Authorities said 9.5 million Rwandans registered to vote. The country has a population of 14 million. Kagame, 64, is qualified to continue in office till 2034 after a constitutional amendment in 2015 changed a two-term limit. Only two challengers were allowed to run against him. Kagame’s opponents: Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, received less than one percent each in the provisional results. The result is the same as 2017 when Kagame swooped nearly 99 percent of the votes. Kagame seized power as the head of rebels who took control of the government and ended the genocide in 1994, becoming vice-president and de f...

 RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY DENOUNCES UNFOUNDED RESOLUTION BY FORMER MEMBERS Distinguished Honourable members, ladies and gentlemen, the news of the illegal sitting of the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, crowded our television screens and social media space yesterday, the 15th Day of July, 2024, where they, having no legal capacity or moral basis, passed a resolution to the effect that the Governor, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, is not permitted to authorize the withdrawal of moneys from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.  The resolution further threatened that the House will declare a Government shutdown on expenditure, until an Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year is presented and passed by the House.  The resolution furthermore directed the Governor to desist from further authorization of withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State and to direct all Rivers State Govern...

SPEED UP INVESTIGATIONS, TRIALS TO DECONGEST PRISONS, GOV FUBARA URGES POLICE, JUDICIARY •As Reps Affirm Low Crime Rate In Rivers Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for speedy investigation of suspects arrested for crime and taken through unimpeded process of legal trails to ensure that they did not eventually get dumped in the correctional centres unduly on awaiting trial list. This, he said, will place more demand on the Nigeria Police Force and the Judiciary to rise up to the challenge of ensuring that their institutions truly function effectively towards achieving desired successes of decongesting correctional centres and dispensing justice. Governor Fubara insisted that such approach will contribute largely to solving the incidences of overcrowded correctional centres with awaiting trial inmates across the country, including the attendant financial burden required for their upkeep. The Governor gave the charge when he received the House of Representa...

  WE'VE STARTED PREPARING OUR 2025 BUDGET - GOV FUBARA  •Says Amaewhule, 24 Others' Seats Were Declared Vacant On Dec 13  Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that his administration has started the process of preparing the 2025 budget, just as he insisted that the legislative seats of Martin Amaewhule and his co-travellers that were declared vacant on December 13, 2023, will remain so. The Governor stated that they are truly gone and will eventually return home because they desired it to be so when they defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which they won their election, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), voluntarily. Governor Fubara spoke when he received on solidarity visit the leadership structure, critical stakeholders, opinion leaders, women and youths of Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas led by Ogbakor Etche, the apex socio-cultural organisation of Etche Ethnic Nationality Worldwide, at Government Hou...

  I WILL NOT THROW CAUTION TO THE WINDS - FUBARA Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara says no matter the provocation, he will never throw caution to the wind. Governor Fubara made the assertion Monday at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Port Harcourt. It was at the occasion of a courtesy visit by stakeholders of Ikwerre Ethnic nationality including traditional rulers, political leaders, women, and youths. They were led by the leadership of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, and the Supreme Council of Ikwerre Traditional Rulers to recommit their unalloyed support to the success of the administration of the governor.  Governor Fubara told them: "I, honestly, am filled with happiness. You know what it means to start a week on a very bright mood like this.  "I am happy that today because this afternoon by the special grace of God, four Local Government Areas; the heartbeat of the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality, are here to pay a solida...