Okolobi Gist Specials

  WORIKA CLARIFIES, NO APPOINTMENT APPROVED FOR NWANOSIKE DISCLAIMER ON RIWAMA APPOINTMENT The Office of the Administrator of Rivers State wishes to disclaim a purported Special Government Announcement spreading round on social media and other platforms stating that His Excellency, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, Administrator of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of ENGR. SAMUEL NWANOSIKE PhD as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), with effect from April 11th, 2025. The statement is allegedly signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibibia Lucky Worika. We wish to categorically inform the good people of Rivers State and the general public to ignore the fake announcement. Please be informed that all official communications from the Office of the Administrator of Rivers State have appropriate channels through which they are circulated.  Signed  Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika Secretary to the State Governme...

 Rivers CP removes DPO, apologises over assault on journalists The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Adewale Adepoju, says the Divisional Police Officers in charge of the Abali Park jurisdiction where journalists were assaulted by officers of the command while covering the #TakeItBackProtest in Port Harcourt has been removed from office. Adepoju disclosed this to members of the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, during a courtesy visit to the union on Friday, where he tendered an unreserved apology to the union and the journalists who were assaulted by some police officers on Monday, April 7, 2025. Describing the media as core partners of the police, the CP explained that the visit became necessary in order to maintain the working relationship, as he cautioned his men against further attack on journalists, warning that erring officers will be sanctioned accordingly. "I leaned there was an issue in which some journalists were smoked and embarrassed, and I wa...

RIVERS SOLE ADMINISTRATOR DEBUNKS RECRUITMENT EXERCISE INTO RIVERS CIVIL SERVICE  RE: GOVERNMENT SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT  The Office of the Administrator of Rivers State wishes to disclaim a purported Special Government Announcement spreading round on social media and other platforms stating that His Excellency, The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the recruitment of 10,000 qualified graduates and non graduates into the Rivers State civil service and that the recruitment portal shall be opened for application midnight of Sunday 13/04/2025. The statement is claimed to have been signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibibia Lucky Worika. We wish to categorically inform the people of Rivers State and the general public to ignore the fake announcement. An appropriate information will be released by the Rivers State Civil Service Commission when it falls due. Signed  Dr.(Mrs.) Inyingi S. I. Brown A...

 NBC bans media from broadcasting Eedris Abdulkareem's new song, Seyi Tell Your Papa.  The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has banned media houses from playing Eedris Abdulkareem's latest song. The song, titled Tell Your Papa, is a criticism of this current administration. In it, Eedris directed Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, to speak to his father about the worsening state of the country. In Tell Your Papa, Abdulkareem sings, "Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga." "Seyi, how far? I swear your papa no try. Too much empty promises. On behalf of Nigerians, take our message to him; kidnappers dey kill Nigerians. "Seyi, try travel by road without your security make you feel the pains of fellow Nigerians. You dey fly private jets, insecurity no be your problem," he continues singing. The National Broadcasting Commission has now released a circular to media ...

 DOES INEC TRULY HAVE A NEW CHAIRMAN? On Monday, 7the April 2025, it was widely circulated on social media that President Bola  Tinubu had appointed a new chairman for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It was then canvassed that while Professor Mahmood Yakubu was sacked, an Ogun Born Media Guru, Professor Bashiru Olamilekan was named as the substantive new INEC Chairman. But the presidency, swiftly responded and denied such appointment, dismissing it entirely. But on Wednesday 9th April 2025, amid the unsettling remour of the alleged sacking of Prof Yakubu, there seemed to be a new acting chairman in sight.. This time, he is not Prof Olamilekan but Mr Sam Olumekun, who until recently, was INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee. This is because, during the meeting that INEC had with the Labour Party leadership, Mr Olumekun was actually referred to as acting INEC Chairman. So it is pertinent to ask again...

 RIVERS YOUTHS SHOULD BE MORE ENTHUSIASTIC JOINING MILITARY - WORIKA  Secretary to the Rivers State Government(SSG), Prof. lbibia Lucky Worika, has urged youths of the State to admire serving in the military and take advantage of the ongoing recruitment to be enrolled. Prof Worika expressed concerns over the low enrolment of Rivers youths into the military and assured of reviewing the enlistment processes adopted by the State to close any existing gaps This was contained in a statement by  Juliana Masi, the Head of Press Unit in the Office of the SSG on Tuesday saying that Prof Worika gave the assurance when he hosted the recruitment team from the Nigerian Army Headquarters in his office in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Wito Nzidee led the team and they were in the State to increase awareness among the youths to enrol in the ongoing 89" Regular Recruitment Intake for Trades/Non- Tradesmen and Women. Prof. Worika said the Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Ad...

 I will not go into the gutter with because that's where you belong ~ Atiku fires back at Nyesom Wike    Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, accusing him of prioritizing personal interests over the welfare of Nigerians.  This was in response to Wike’s recent remarks in Port Harcourt, where he referred to Atiku as a “rejected politician.” Wike’s comments followed Atiku’s reaction to the recent local government elections in Rivers State, where Atiku stated that the elections had revealed that “the citizens of Rivers are astute and resolute, unwavering in their rejection of any form of political oppression, harassment, or the machinations of self-serving godfathers.” Wike, seemingly dismissing Atiku’s statement, said, “If you say for an election we did not contest, never participated in, that it shows Nigerians have rejected us, fine. You that contested and failed woefully, Nigerians h...