Wike: Only Sincerity of Purpose Can Restore Peace in Rivers

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April 26, 2025
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*Ibas says state is calm, seeks more time to brief lawmakers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, yesterday, stated that the political crisis in Rivers State can only be resolved if there was sincerity of purpose by all the parties involved as well as other stakeholders.
The former Rivers Governor who made the assertion at a church thanksgiving service in honour of the 70th birthday of a former federal lawmaker, Ken Chikere, in Port Harcourt, insisted that the ongoing emergency rule averted serious calamities that could have occurred in the State.

The remarks by Wike came same day the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), stated that while the state was currently relatively calm, its stability remains fragile.
Speaking further, Wike said no amount of protest could restore the situation if the suspended leaders remain insincere to the purpose of crisis in the State.

Wike chided some traditional rulers and leaders in the State who had taken sides with suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the political crisis, saying they have not been able to reconcile the warring parties.
The FCT Minister said: “One month after Mr. President, in his wisdom, declared a state of emergency to save Rivers State from anarchy, I challenge any Rivers so-called elders, even the traditional rulers, what attempt have they made to bring total peace in the State?

“I challenge any so-called 90 years old, 200-year-old, what effort since one month and one week has seen that there is total reconciliation in this state? No amount of going to television to abuse anybody will bring peace, because we have always said that those who thrive in crisis, when there is a crisis they are happy, when there is no crisis there is no food on the table. Those people cannot be real elders.”

The former governor of Rivers State condemned women who protest naked on the streets in the name of seeking an end to emergency rule in the State and calling for the reinstatement of elected officers of the State.
He said what could bring peace to the State was a sincere reconciliation of both parties, regardless minding the political parties or interest groups.

“There is no need of embarrassing our women to be naked outside. No amount of such can bring peace, no amount of such blackmail can bring peace. What can bring peace is for you to humble yourself and say for the interest of the state I want everybody to work together.
“If you are sincere, everybody would have known. I told our leaders, yes, some people have tried to approach me I received them. I did not pursue them, but seeing me alone does not bring peace.
“There are critical stakeholders that must be involved in the process of this peace-making. Nobody will be excluded. If any group is excluded, it means there is no total peace.

“Members of State Assembly and National Assembly must be involved. The two political parties must be involved; other leaders must be involved. In that way, we will now know that they are sincere in talking about peace.”
He encouraged his loyalists, especially the 27 members of the State House of Assembly at the event to jubilate over their victory at the Supreme Court, recently.

“One thing you must go home and jubilate is this: the Assembly maintained their seats and you are able to step aside that kangaroo election. If anybody says you are nobody, that person must have a mental problem. So, we need peace, but let it be of sincerity,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Sole Administrator, Ibas, has stated that while the State was currently experiencing relative calm, its stability remains fragile.

Ibas noted that the peace being experienced was still delicate and required careful handling in the face of a continuing political transition.
Ibas, said this while making his remarks at a meeting with the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight yesterday. He acknowledged the critical role the committee plays in preserving the democratic and constitutional integrity and assured members of his willingness to fully cooperate in their ongoing assignment.

While expressing regret over his inability to attend earlier engagements with the committee, he said, “Today is exactly ten days after the first invitation, and in between we’ve had four days that were off calendar as public holidays, plus the weekends inclusive.”
He further stressed that his absence was not to slight the committee, but due to the pressing and urgent demands of stabilising governance in a deeply troubled environment.
“I have always held the National Assembly in the highest regard. I recognise the importance of your oversight responsibilities and your interest in the progress being made in Rivers State,” he added.

Ibas appealed to the committee for more time to properly prepare a comprehensive report on the State’s affairs.
“I only request your understanding and the indulgence of this committee to grant me additional time to adequately prepare and present a comprehensive and constructive briefing. The complexities and sensitivities surrounding the transitional period in Rivers made it necessary to approach every detail with caution and thoroughness.

“Given the complexities and sensitivities surrounding the current transitional period in Rivers State, it is important that any engagement with this committee is done with the depth, accuracy and clarity it rightfully deserves,” he added.
He however assured the committee of his full cooperation moving forward, and promised to ensure that all relevant information would be made available in due course to aid the committee’s work further thanked the chairman and members of the committee for their patience and dedication to national service.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, stressed the constitutional role of the National Assembly in overseeing the state of emergency declared in Rivers State.
Ihonvbere, while emphasising that the federal legislature remains central to the state’s transitional process, reaffirmed the committee’s constitutional mandate and expressed satisfaction that the administrator had finally honored the invitation after earlier delays.

He stated that the committee’s mandate was rooted in constitutional authority and that some of its terms had already been communicated to the administrator in an earlier letter.
While citing relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution as amended, Ihonvbere reminded the administrator that the power to declare a state of emergency under Section 305 rests with the President, but that the National Assembly must approve it before it becomes effective.

However, he reiterated the committee’s readiness to discharge its duties with diligence and fairness in the interest of the people of Rivers State and Nigeria at large.

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Trump, Macron, Starmer, Other World Leaders Bid Final Farewell to Pope Francis

*Hundreds of thousands witness funeral

*How first non-European pope in almost 13 centuries requested for simple burial

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

United States President, Donald Trump; his predecessor Joe Biden; Britain’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and French President, Emmanuel Macron, as well as Prince William, and other world leaders from 150 nations were among the over 250,000 mourners who bid Pope Francis farewell as the leader of the Catholic church was laid to rest yesterday at a solemn funeral ceremony held at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Vatican City.

Earlier, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was the leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the burial ceremony, paid tribute to the departed Pope, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian People at the lying-in-state.
Pope Francis, who shunned much of the pomp and privilege of the papacy, had asked to be buried at Saint Mary Major Basilica, rather than in St. Peter’s, the first time a Pope would be laid to rest outside the Vatican in more than a century, a Reuters report said.

Pope Francis became the first Pope in over 120 years to be buried outside the precincts of St Peter’s Basilica.
Some other world leaders in attendance were the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who was pictured locked in deep discussion with Trump earlier; President of Argentina, Javier Milei; Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and Italian President, Sergio Mattarella.

Behind these leaders were reigning sovereigns, and other delegations seated in alphabetical order in French, the official language of diplomacy, on other benches.
Also present were: German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz; European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen; Norway’s Crown Prince, Haakon and Crown Princess, Mette-Marit; Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia as well as Monaco’s Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II.

Besides, Poland President, Andrzej Duda; Dominican Republic President, Luis Abinader; Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde; German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier; Croatian President, Zoran Milanovic; Ecuador President, Daniel Noboa; Moldova President Maia; New Zealand Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, among others also attended the event.
In addition, 250 cardinals, 400 Bishops and over 4,000 priests were at the ceremony to honour the Argentine Pope who reigned for 12 years and died at the age of 88 last Monday after suffering a stroke.

There was a loud applause as Pope Francis’ coffin was brought out of the Basilica and into the sun-filled square by 14 white-gloved pallbearers at the start of the Mass.
The crowds clapped loudly again at the end of the service when the ushers picked up the casket and tilted it slightly so that more people could see it.

After the funeral, as the great bells of St. Peter’s pealed in mourning, the coffin was placed on an open-topped popemobile and driven through the heart of Rome to St. Mary Major Basilica.
The popemobile left the Vatican from the Perugino Gate, a side entrance just yards away from the Santa Marta guesthouse where Francis had chosen to live, instead of the ornate Renaissance apartments in the papal palace.
Crowds estimated by police as numbering some 150,000 lined the 5.5-km (3.4-mile) route to St. Mary Major.
The scene resembled many popemobile rides Francis took in his 47 trips to all corners of the world.
Some in the crowd waved signs, and others threw flowers towards the casket.
They shouted “viva il papa” (long live the pope) and “ciao, Francesco” (goodbye, Francis) as the procession made its way around Rome’s ancient monuments, including the Colosseum.

Pope Francis’ death ushered in a meticulously planned period of transition, marked by ancient ritual, pomp and mourning.
Over the past three days, thousands of people filed past his open coffin, laid out before the altar of the cavernous basilica.
Choirs at the funeral sang Latin hymns, and prayers were recited in various languages, including Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese and Arabic, reflecting the global reach of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
Many of the faithful camped out overnight to try to secure spots at the front of the crowd, while others hurried there in the early morning.

Pope Francis, the first non-European pope for almost 13 centuries, battled to reshape the Church, siding with the poor and marginalised, while challenging wealthy nations to help migrants and reverse climate change.
“Francis left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, of a holy life and universal fatherhood,” said a formal summary of his papacy, written in Latin, and placed next to his body.

In his homily at the Requiem Mass for Pope Francis, the Dean of the College of Cardinals recalled the highlights of his intense and prophetic 12 years of pontificate marked by his closeness to the people, “especially the least and the last amongst us”, said a statement from the Vatican.

Over 250,000 people from all walks of life poured into St. Peter’s Square and the adjacent areas yesterday morning to bid their final farewell to Pope Francis at his Requiem Mass. Over 150,00 others lined the streets of Rome as his coffin was taken in procession to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
“The Solemn and moving celebration was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, joined by some 250 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, and consecrated religious.

“In his homily, the Dean of the College of Cardinals delved into the many highlights of his remarkable and intense 12 years of Petrine Ministry marked by his style of closeness to the people and spontaneity of his gestures until the very end, but most importantly, by his deep love for the Church which he wanted open to everyone,” the Vatican statement added.
Thanking all those present and extending his greetings to the numerous religious leaders, Heads of State, Heads of Government and Official Delegations from across the world attending the Mass, Cardinal Re noted that the outpouring witnessed in the week of mourning told a lot on how much the pontificate of Pope Francis “touched minds and hearts” of many people, not only within the Church.

Referencing the Gospel passage where Christ charged Peter with shepherding His flock, Cardinal Re remarked that “Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life,” in which he “followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd”
“The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to this Square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile,” the Cardinal stressed.

He recalled how his decision to take the name Francis “immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.”
With his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, said Cardinal Re, “he (the late Pope) immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church.”
“He was a Pope among the people”, with an open heart towards everyone, especially the marginalised, the least among us, but “also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church,” Cardinal Re remarked.

How First Non-European Pope in Almost 13 Centuries Requested for Simple Burial

Although traditionalists pushed back at his efforts to make the Church more transparent, while his pleas for an end to conflict, divisions and rampant capitalism often fell on deaf ears, the pope carried his desire for greater simplicity into his funeral, having rewritten the elaborate, book-length funeral rites used previously.
He also opted to forego a papal tradition of three interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead and oak. Instead, he was placed in a single, zinc-lined wooden coffin.

His tomb has just “Franciscus”, his name in Latin, inscribed on the top. A reproduction of the simple, iron-plated cross he used to wear around his neck hangs above the marble slab.
However, after the Pope is laid to rest, attention will now switch to who might succeed him. The secretive conclave is unlikely to begin before May 6, and might not start for several days after that, giving cardinals time to hold regular meetings beforehand to sum each other up and assess the state of the Church, beset by financial problems and ideological divisions, Reuters added.

*Hundreds of thousands witness funeral *How first non-European pope in almost 13 centuries requested for simple burial Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja United States President, Donald Trump; his predecessor Joe Biden;

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April 27, 2025
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Edun, Cardoso: Tinubu’s Reforms Have Restored Investors’ Confidence, Stabilised FX Market

*Hail Nigerians’ resilience, say FG targeting single-digit inflation, protection of purchasing power

*Shettima seeks international collaboration to advance Nigeria’s human capital devt strategy

Deji Elumoye in Abuja, Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe in Washington DC

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, have declared that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have restored the confidence of investors in the Nigerian economy and stabilised foreign exchange (FX) market.

While stressing that the federal government’s target was to reduce the inflation rate to a single digit and protect the people’s purchasing power, Edun and Cardoso hailed Nigerians for their resilience, admitting that though it had been tough, the reforms were yielding positive results.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has clamoured for stronger international collaboration to advance Nigeria’s Human Capital Development (HCD) strategy, stressing President Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to position human potential at the heart of national development.
Edun and Cardoso reiterated that Nigeria’s economy had weathered its most turbulent storms but is now firmly on a path toward growth and stability.

Speaking yesterday at a joint media briefing on the last day of the 2025 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., the finance minister and the CBN governor presented a bullish outlook for the country’s economy.
They highlighted the macroeconomic reforms, which have improved investor confidence, and expressed optimism for an ambitious growth target of seven per cent.
Edun confirmed that critical economic indicators were now trending positively, noting a clear break from the precarious conditions that existed a few years ago.

Edun added: “Nigeria’s reform efforts are strongly appreciated by the international community as the most credible way to economic prosperity. In fact, the US State Department described Nigeria’s reforms as an economic miracle.
“Nigeria is economically, financially, in a much better place than it was just a couple of years ago. Inflation is coming down; the exchange rate is stabilising; food prices are easing, and the fundamentals are much stronger,” Edun said.
However, he noted that growth must be accelerated to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

“Unless we get to about seven per cent growth, we are not going to substantially reduce poverty and improve the life of Nigerians. That is the target and commitment of this administration.”
He noted that currently, Nigeria’s economy was growing at an average of 3.4 per cent in 2024, with the most recent quarterly figure recorded at 3.84 per cent.

Edun outlined key strategies to bridge the growth gap, including boosting agricultural productivity, expanding digital infrastructure, supporting entrepreneurship, and enhancing access to finance across all sectors.
Tinubu’s administration, he revealed, was also pivoting away from dependence on concessional and commercial external funding towards aggressive domestic revenue mobilisation.
“The objective is to create jobs locally, empower youths, and support them through essential infrastructure.
“The focus now is on domestic revenue mobilisation.
“The focus is on crowding in the private sector so that they can come in and invest across the board: infrastructure, digital, toll roads.”

He explained that the imminent passage of key tax reform bills would significantly increase Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio, improving the federal government’s revenue base.
“They can probably tell you better than I, but I think the imminent passing of that tax reform bill is on the horizon, and once it is passed, it does have in it the potential for increasing tax revenues that are earned by the government,” Edun said.
The minister stressed that the private sector must be the engine of sustained growth and job creation.

According to him, with macroeconomic stability returning and investor confidence rebounding, Nigeria appears poised, if reforms stay on course, to realise its long-elusive dream of inclusive, broad-based prosperity.
“We have turned the corner. It is now time for every Nigerian to contribute towards building a stronger, more prosperous economy,” Edun added.

On his part, Cardoso noted that the reforms undertaken in the last 18 months, have strengthened monetary buffers and stabilised the foreign exchange market.
Cardoso said: “We are custodians of stability. Our role is to ensure that people can plan without suffering the shocks of internal or external disruptions. This is not the time to be cynical. If we do not recognise and take advantage of our opportunities, others will.

“Capital moves to where the environment is enabling, it’s not the time to be cynical. It’s time for us to look to the future. With every confidence that we will get out of any problem that we are faced with,” he added.
Cardoso noted that Nigeria’s resilience amid recent external shocks had earned international respect.
“It has taken a lot of coordination between the fiscal and the monetary, learning from mistakes, being bold enough to look at other means of doing certain things to get better results, and now we are here at a time where the international community is asking others to learn from what Nigeria has been able to accomplish.

“Indeed, the macroeconomic stability we are beginning to see today would not have been possible without these decisive actions,” he stated.
“Our policy stance is firmly focused on bringing inflation down to single digits in a sustainable manner over the medium term. Our goal is to restore price stability, protect household purchasing power, and lay the foundation for long-term investment.”

The CBN governor further disclosed that the gap between the official and parallel market exchange rates had disappeared, while speculative arbitrage, a persistent source of currency pressure in past years, had also vanished.
“This renewed stability has restored confidence and spurred autonomous inflows through formal channels. These inflows are diversifying our foreign exchange sources beyond oil,” Cardoso added.

Shettima Seeks International Collaboration to Advance Nigeria’s Human Capital Devt Strategy

In a related development, Vice President Shettima has clamoured for stronger international collaboration to advance Nigeria’s Human Capital Development 2.0 (HCD 2.0) strategy.
Speaking virtually at a high-level roundtable on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings at the weekend, Shettima said the success of HCD 2.0 depended on data-driven, evidence-based interventions and sustained political will.
The HCD 2.0 programme is designed to elevate Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI) and equip it to face both national and global challenges, including climate change and digital transformation.

Shettima pointed out that the meeting was necessitated by the urgency to invest in the Nigerian people and by the recognition that true national wealth was found not in natural resources, but in human potential.
According to him: “This meeting, for us, is not just another item on our global agenda. It is a continuation of a journey whose beginnings I had the privilege of witnessing about seven years ago. True national wealth is found not in natural resources, but in human potential.

“We will offer our HCD 2.0 Strategy the political backing it deserves to be the priority of our nation, and President Bola Tinubu has never wavered on this”.
Shettima reiterated the federal government’s determination to ensure the continuity and deepening of the HCD agenda.
“Government is a continuum. Nowhere is this truer than in programmes that demand patience, vision, and long-term commitment—programmes such as our Human Capital Development programme,” he said.

He revealed that under HCD 2.0, six priority indicators from the health, education, and labour force sectors have been selected as “quick wins” to guide policy interventions and track measurable progress.
“We have carefully curated priority indicators and an HCD Dashboard to track them. This allows us to make informed policy decisions and measure our progress against tangible benchmarks,” he said.

*Hail Nigerians’ resilience, say FG targeting single-digit inflation, protection of purchasing power *Shettima seeks international collaboration to advance Nigeria’s human capital devt strategy Deji Elumoye in Abuja, Eromosele Abiodun and

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Wike: Only Sincerity of Purpose Can Restore Peace in Rivers

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