NEWS
Rivers Marathon: Fubara, Wife Dominate 30-Meter Race
Hosting the Rivers International Marathon 2024, was with the objective of opening up the state’s economy to global investment opportunities.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, made the assertion on Saturday, in Port Harcourt, during the closing ceremony and presentation of prizes and medals to the winners of Rivers International Marathon 2024, themed ‘Power On, Conquer the Distance’, which took place at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.
According to Gov Fubara, his administration overcame lots of challenges to achieve the feat.
Biztellers reports that Gov Fubara and his wife, Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, dominated the 30-meter race by clinching first and second places respectively.
He expressed his administration’s commitment to youth development, which would be marked by expanding the space and exposing them to a variety of sporting activities to groom potential talents for excellence and attainment of their aspirations.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi detailed these in a statement he issued on Saturday.
The governor expressed delight that the event, the first of its kind was successfully hosted by the state, even though it was initially difficult, to reconcile the position of the organisers and the sponsors on its importance, objectives and how to make it glamorous.
He said, “When we started the planning, we had a lot of issues but somehow along the way, we finally agreed and resolved all the bottlenecks, challenges more especially, finances to host this event.
“But, I can say, on our part as a government and also as host of an event that has never taken place in Rivers State before, we were a bit far on our part from the organisers. This is because all they were saying was that if I could liken it to anything, the cost could even help me renovate a school.
“So, I asked, why should I spend such money for just a marathon? But they convinced us that this event would open the doors economically to the world and for Rivers State. And for that reason, we gave them all the support that was needed for it to be a success. And I can say to the glory of God that I am happy that we are here today witnessing it live and direct.”
The governor indicated that there would likely be a second edition, which would be better than the first because detected mistakes would be corrected.
Congratulating the winners of the competition, he assured that his administration would sustain support for all youths who want to explore their sporting talents in the state and help them to blossom.
“Let me also say that, we might not have gotten it very, very right in this first one because it is the first.
“I strongly believe that when we are going to host the second one, most of our mistakes, most of the areas that we did not consider, we will consider them and make the second event a more glamorous one that will be better than this.
“For us as a government, we know the importance of sports. We know that sports and youth development go together. For that reason, we are not going to joke about the aspect of youth development. We are not going to joke in the aspect of sports development,” Gov Fubara stated.
Gov Fubara also commended the Commissioner of Sports, Christopher Green, for his leadership in the ministry which had led to the state winning lots of trophies during his tenure.
He said such winning, on the side of women’s teams and the side of the male teams, clearly showed that so much has been done right to place the sports sector on a good footing in the state.
He said, “So, I want to commend the Commissioner, continue to do what you know how to do best. We didn’t bring you here for nothing, we know that you are a man who has made his name in the sports industry, continue to make us proud.”
He decorated the winners with their medals and presented them with their prizes while also announcing N5 million apiece to each of the first-place winners as support from the state government.
Gov Fubara announced a complimentary monetary award of N1 million to the athletes in the first 20 places behind the gold medal winners as an encouragement to them.
He expressed optimism that it would motivate others to consider joining the competition in the future.
Interestingly, in the 30-meter race, Gov Fubara emerged the winner and had his medal presented to him by the Chairman, Governing Council of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka.
The wife of the governor, Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, won second place in the 30-meter race and had her medal presented to her by the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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