Prominent Rivers indigenes from diverse walks of life, including former governor, Celestine Omehia, and former national chairman of the People Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, have written to President Bola Tinubu to express their reservations over the proposed conduct of local government elections in the state. The stakeholders under the aegis of ‘Major Stakeholders’ called on the president to lift the state of emergency imposed on the state and reinstate the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the State House of Assembly. They warned that if the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, as currently constituted under the leadership of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete (retd.), proceeds with the local government election scheduled for August 30, it could raise concerns about democratic integrity. The open letter, issued on Thursday, was titled “Rivers LG Election: A Serious Threat To Democracy and Repeated Violations of the Constitution—Urgent Warning From Major Stakeholders.” The stakeholders, including Atedo Peterside, Celestine Omehia, Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Senator Andrew Uchendu, and Engr Tele Ikuru, declared that “the proposed local government council elections in Rivers State are nothing short of an existential assault on our democracy and a brazen flouting of Nigeria’s Constitution.” They also voiced their concerns over the ongoing “violation of constitutional governance and due process in the unlawful attempt to hold Local Government Council elections in the state.” The letter reads, “These elections, orchestrated by a ‘Sole Administrator’ with no constitutional mandate and allegedly imposed by the Federal Government, threaten the very foundations of our federal system, the rule of law, and the peace of Rivers State. “First, there is currently no legally constituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as mandated by Sections 2, 3, 5, and 12 of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2018. Consequently, any electoral activities undertaken by such an illegitimate body are null and void. “The combined interpretation of the specified sections of the RSIEC Law alongside Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) establishes that only the elected Governor, upon confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly, is empowered to appoint the Chairman and members of RESIEC. Any appointment process outside this constitutional procedure is invalid and unconstitutional. “Second, the illegitimate Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has flagrantly ignored the mandatory 90-day notice requirement before an election, as stipulated in Section 20 of the RSIEC Law. “With no formal notification for candidate nominations or polling timetables—and an election date of August 30, 2025, announced on short notice—this process bears a resemblance to the 2024 polls, which the Supreme Court annulled due to procedural failures. Ignoring these safeguards is not an oversight; it is a deliberate attack on the principle of due process.” It continued, “Third, courts across the land are actively adjudicating the legality of the Sole Administrator’s appointment and the very existence of a functioning RSIEC. “Yet, despite pending Supreme Court and Federal High Court actions—and multiple sub judice challenges by political parties—electoral machinery grinds on under a so-called “emergency” guise. “Fourth, Rivers State has been plunged into a constitutional crisis and a de facto state of emergency due to the federal suspension of its executive and legislative branches. If INEC deems by-elections untenable under such conditions, how can local government polls, unrelated to any genuine emergency justified? “Fifth, Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution vests exclusive responsibility for local council elections in state governments. A federally appointed agent—lacking any legal foundation—cannot lawfully step into this role. “The doctrine of agency, affirmed in landmark cases such as Adewumi v. Plastex Ltd. and Okafor v. Umeh, holds that an agent’s authority is strictly derivative; without a constitutional grant, the actions of the Sole Administrator are ultra vires and void.” While arguing that “the blatant usurpation of state autonomy desecrates our federal architecture and imperils democratic governance,” they called on President Tinubu, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Judiciary, civil society, the media, the international community, and all defenders of democracy to intervene decisively. “Rivers State stands at a crossroads: surrender to impunity or uphold the Constitution and the will of the people. The choice is ours—and the stakes could not be higher,” they declared. Other stakeholders that added their voices in the letter include Prince Fafaa Dan Princewill, Engr Dagogo Jack, Randolph Iwo Brown, Dr Austin Tam-George, Donu Kogbara, Dr Sokonte Davies, Dr Glory Emeh, George Feyii, Hon Asita, Surv Sam Agwor and Ann-Kio Briggs.

Thousands of telecom sites across Nigeria are at risk of shutting down after petroleum unions blocked diesel supplies in a dispute with infrastructure provider IHS Towers, telecom operators said on Thursday. Members of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria on Tuesday blocked access to key diesel depots in Lagos, Kaduna, and Koko in Delta State, disrupting fuel distribution to thousands of telecom sites operated by IHS Towers. The blockade followed allegations by IHS that two companies linked to NOGASA were involved in diesel theft. Although the matter is reportedly under investigation, union members have halted deliveries of diesel, a vital energy source for more than 16,000 telecom towers in a country where grid electricity remains unreliable at best. The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, said the group was gravely concerned about the broader implications of the blockade on national infrastructure and public safety. “While ALTON does not interfere in disputes between its members and third parties, we are gravely concerned about the wider implications of this action on national infrastructure and public safety,” he noted in a statement. The dispute has pinpointed the vulnerability of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, which relies heavily on diesel to power base stations in areas lacking stable grid electricity. A prolonged fuel disruption could trigger outages for mobile operators, including MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, with potentially severe consequences for businesses and consumers in one of Africa’s largest economies. Under Nigerian law, telecom infrastructure is classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure. ALTON warned that intentional disruption could have legal consequences. IHS has not responded to queries from The PUNCH seeking comment on the matter. The telcos urged the leadership of NUPENG and NOGASA to call their members to order and resolve disputes within lawful frameworks, rather than actions that could endanger public services. “Disputes must be resolved within the framework of lawful contracts and applicable legal processes, without resorting to actions that endanger the operations of an entire industry and the lives and livelihoods that depend on it,” Adebayo stated. Aside from vandalism, a major bottleneck in the sector, telcos face rising energy costs as they rely heavily on diesel to power mobile towers. The industry consumes more than 40 million litres of diesel each month, with annual spending exceeding $350m, according to industry data. Energy expenses are even higher at rural and off-grid tower sites, where power costs are estimated to be about 37 per cent more than in urban areas. The reliance on diesel not only inflates capital and operating expenditures but also exposes telecom infrastructure to risks such as fuel theft and equipment vandalism. ALTON also called on government authorities, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Communications Commission, and other key stakeholders, to intervene swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating further. Despite the ongoing disruption, ALTON reaffirmed its members’ commitment to providing reliable, high-quality telecommunications services across the country. However, it cautioned that incidents like this severely undermine their ability to maintain network stability and meet service delivery expectations. “We extend our deep respect to NUPENG and NOGASA for their contributions to Nigeria’s energy sector and trust they will act responsibly to avoid further damage to critical national infrastructure,” the association concluded. To reduce energy bills and cut emissions, operators including Airtel and MTN are turning to hybrid solutions that combine solar power and lithium batteries. The NC C and GSMA estimate that shifting to renewable energy could lower operating costs by 30 per cent to 50 per cent, offering significant savings and environmental benefits.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Abdullahi Ramat as the new Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. Tinubu also nominated Abubakar Yusuf as the Commissioner of Consumer Affairs and Dr Fouad Animashun as Commissioner of Finance and Management Services for NERC. This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday. The statement noted that Ramat is a 39-year-old electrical engineer and administrator, with a PhD in Strategic Management, among other qualifications. It also said all the nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.  “However, to avoid a leadership vacuum in the critical regulatory agency, the President directed that Ramat assume office in acting capacity pending his screening by the Senate, as stipulated by the law.  “President Tinubu urged the new appointees to use their knowledge and experience to discharge their functions and work assiduously to advance the administration’s power sector vision,” it added.

The Onitsha Port in Anambra State was abuzz with excitement early this month as the first barge for the 2025 season, MV ZUPITOR/MV RB ALASKA, berthed at the port. The General Manager of Universal Elysium Limited, the concessionaire of the port, Mr Chris Mbonu, expressed his enthusiasm, describing the berthing of the barge as a positive milestone and a reminder of the pressing infrastructural gap. Mbonu explained that operations at the port were ongoing but largely seasonal, with activity peaking only during the rainy season when the River Niger’s water level rises sufficiently to allow vessel movement. He attributed the seasonal operation to the inconsistency of dredging and channel management of the River Niger, rather than a lack of infrastructure or demand. “The port is functional and ready to work 365 days a year. But without consistent dredging of the River Niger, we are forced to operate only when the waterway allows us—essentially turning a national asset into a seasonal stopgap,” Mbonu said. He likened a port without a navigable waterway to a car without fuel, adding that the current situation limits the port’s capacity to serve as a true inland logistics hub for Nigeria’s growing domestic and international trade. Mbonu appealed to the federal government, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, and private stakeholders to make regular dredging and maintenance of the River Niger a national economic priority. Regular dredging of the River Niger, according to Mbonu, would unlock year-round navigability, enabling barges, ferries, and larger vessels to move seamlessly between the southern seaports and the inland commercial centers. This would lower transportation and logistics costs, ease congestion on critical highways, reduce delivery timeframes and business inefficiencies, and increase investor confidence in inland logistics. The concessionaire also highlighted the potential impact on agriculture, tourism, and recreation, including helping farmers and aggregators move produce quickly and efficiently, encouraging investment in industrial and logistics infrastructure, promoting export trade, and supporting outbound movement of raw materials and agro-commodities via coastal ports. With proper dredging of the River Niger, Onitsha River Port could transform into a year-round, multimodal commercial hub, impacting several sectors and driving economic growth. Mbonu emphasized that the infrastructure is in place, the demand is evident, and the benefits are far-reaching; what is required now is government consistency and strategic investment to make inland waterway transport a pillar of Nigeria’s economic growth.