The political landscape in Rivers state has being missing the presence of former Commissioner for Information and Communications Mrs Ibim Semenitari as it is obvious that the most sort after Female journalist and publisher of BUSINESS EYE magazine is said to have returned to her first love which is journalism profession after so many years of practice and 10-years of absence. The international award winning journalist in 2009 ventured into the murky waters of Rivers state politics and she was adjudged a perfect match to the then opposition political party Peoples Democratic Party-PDP in Rivers state. What many people did not know about Mrs Ibim Semenitari is her doggedness and passion for journalism irrespective of the fact that she was able to climb fast to positions of responsibility in public service one thing never escaped her attention writing and editing stories no wonder after her successful careered job as Commissioner and Acting Managing Director For 10-months at Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC she made adequate arrangement to revive BUSINESS EYE magazine with its operational headquarters at 13/15 Castle Flock Avenue 5th Roundabout, Lekki, Lagos. And Port Harcourt office located at 2nd Floor Ikwerre Road Mile One in the same office space with Nativity Communications publishers of The Neighbourhood Community Newspapers.
Towncrier.ng investigations reveals that Mrs Ibim Semenitari the daughter of former Deputy Governor of Rivers state Sir, Gabriel GTG Toby and Dame Dr (Mrs) Christi Toby after leaving NDDC went all out to rejuvenate and give breathing air to her mother’s foremost successful private School known as Archdeacon Brown Education Centre ABEC Port Harcourt located at Nvuigwe Road Woji Port Harcourt which she repackaged with additional identity called Christie Toby Inclusive Education Center a boarding and day Secondary School at Iriebe and Mary Virginia Nursery/Primary School Iriebe Port Harcourt. Armed with the necessary zeal and thirst for journalism job Mrs Ibim Semenitari was not in a hurry to making a come-back to journalism but she did her desire to hire the best hands in the profession saw to the facts that her dream baby BUSINESS EYE magazine Nigeria’s business intelligence magazine returns to the Newsstand both in Nigeria and in the international fora given the fact that subscribers on line www.businesseye.ng are now elated with the caliber of writers including serving public officers who are freelancers such as Femi Adeshina, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media. Others include Mr Ade Adeogun a retired Department of State Services– DSS staff who writes on Security. Hired on part time is knowledgeable and well groomed journalist and publisher of Neighbourhood community newspaper and Online Tv –Mr Bekee Anyalewechi .
On the reasons why Mrs Ibim Semenitari relocated to Lagos ten years after her political sojourn in her motherland Rivers state www.towncrier.ng gathered is mainly to retouch her publishing business and other consultancy businesses that she was running prior to 2009 when the then Governor of Rivers state Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi spotted her after South-South States of BRACE an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo States Assembly stakeholders Economic summit held at Tinapa resort Calabar Cross River in 2009. Her performance as a Guest Speaker at the event catapulted her immediately and Governor Amaechi had Mrs Ibim Semenitari hired to manage the Information and Communications Ministry of Rivers state Government. Since her departure from the coveted office of Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC Mrs Ibim Semenitari had shun playing full time politics even though she still remain loyal to her political mentor Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi whose political firmaments in Rivers state is getting diminished by the political weight of his once political subordinate and now Governor of Rivers state His Excellency Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP. It is because of the current downfall of All Progressive Congress-APC in Rivers state that former Commissioner For Works in Rivers state Engineer Sampson Ngarigbara led FREE RIVERS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES has been going round the 23 local Government Areas in Rivers state launching the organization with the leader of APC in Rivers state and South-South geo-political region Rt. Hon, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi always in attendance. But Mrs Ibim Semenitari has been missing in action in most of the political rallies so far organized in Rivers state especially that which took place at Bori in Khana on Saturday 10th, February; 2018.Again Mrs Ibim Semenitari was not present at a major All Progressive Congress –APC electoral Victory Thanksgiving Church service organized by Senator Magnus Ngei Abe in Port Harcourt. So, will Mrs Ibim Semenitari continue to be relevant in Rivers state politics especially being a daughter of a former Deputy Governor of Rivers state?
