Entertainment

NULGE And Healthcare Law

Published

14 years ago

July 2, 2011

The recently enacted Primary Health Care Board Law which compels local government councils in Rivers State to contribute 10 per cent of their total revenue monthly to the board is raising some dust at the third-tier of government. The umbrella association of the council workers is crying wolf over two sections of the law, which it considers offensive. The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) thus called for amendment to the sections, if the local government system is to be sanitised.

NULGE did not stop there but proceeded to take its protest of the law to the state government. As it stands today, the law has pitched the Board it sets up against the grassroots workers’ union, and except something is done urgently to assuage the situation, the third-tier system may be the worst for it.

Aside NULGE, the councils’ authorities themselves view the new law as an affront on them and are reluctant to abide by its provisions, especially the aspect that mandates them to contribute 10 per cent of their total revenue to the Board. The situation at the councils may snow ball into a major crisis between local government chairman and the Board on one hand, and NULGE and the Board on the other, except the law is re-visited and the offending sections amended.

At the Port Harcourt City Local Government, Obio/Akpor and Emohua councils for instance, the issue has been at the front burner of discourse among stakeholders who view the ‘offending’ sections as ‘Obnoxious and stringent so should be expunged from the law. Same is the feeling at the NULGE Consulate (secretariat) in Port Harcourt.

For NULGE, it is a slight on the union that the law did not also include the union on the Board as a member but, rather prefers medical and health workers union to be o n the Board. And NULGE is not prepared to take this, hence it is leading the third-tier of government on the protest to have these sections amended.

How far NULGE can go in achieving this feat remains to be seen but the leadership of the union is optimistic and sees light at the end of the tunnel. The Weekend Tide accosted NULGE state president, Sir Barr. Franklin Ajinwo and he said just this.

Sir. Barr. Ajinwo said he could not understand why 10 per cent of the total allocations of councils in the state which amounts to over N200 million monthly, using the new salary scale should be paid to the Board as overhead when the councils were still required to pay primary healthcare to workers.

He fumed saying that “by the provisions of that law, local government councils in this state are expected to contribute 10 per cent of their total allocation to that board and the deduction is to be made at source,” adding despitefully, “that does not even stop it, after contributing the 10 per cent, the local government councils will also go ahead and pay the Primary Healthcare workers (whereas) that 10 per cent ordinarily is enough to pay their salaries and remain, but they said, that’s just overhead cost!”

The NULGE boss told The Weekend Tide that as a union, they find this inconceivable and therefore unacceptable.

His words, “As a union, we saw that and felt that it was not in the best interest of the union or the system because by the time you make that deductions, cumulatively, using the May, 2011 allocation (formula) as a case study, 10 per cent will give you almost 200 and something (naira) to be used as overhead for just one board!

Barr. Ajinwo said the fact that the over N200 million will not be used for salaries makes the law even more worrisome, adding that they have protested to the government and expressed the hope that the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi “being somebody who believes in the right things being done, in the rule of Law” will ensure that these offending sections of the law will “certainly be amended”.

He told The Weekend Tide that “another aspect of the law we did not like is that in that primary healthcare board, we have medical and health workers union being represented in the board while NULGE where the money is going to be generated from (is not on the Board).”

“Ordinarily, every staff of local government is a member of NULGE. NULGE means National Union of Local Government Employees so the fact that you’re an employee of local government makes you a member of NULGE, you can belong to your professional body, that does not remove you from NULGE. As a lawyer, I pay my subscription to NBA, Engineer can pay to NSE, all that. If you are a doctor employed by local government, you’re a staff of local government so a member of NULGE, but that does not mean you should not pay your subscription to NMA, so every staff of local government is a member of NULGE, therefore, if you’re taking any decision that affects them, naturally, NULGE should be part of it”, he explained.

“But we discovered that in that law, instead of making NULGE to be represented on the Board, they rather went and maked Medical and Health Workers Union to be represented,” he said and explained that medical and health workers union is the union that brings together health workers in the hospital, the UPTH, secondary and tertiary sectors. Ajinwo said,“If you say they are professionals want them to pay their professional and fees to you, it’s different from union dues because everything we discuss here, we do so as a union; as members of NULGE.

We are people who have common problem. So we come together, that’s the essence of union; we come together to see how we can solve our common problems”.

Barr Ajinwo insisted that NULGE should be represented on the board, the Board should be re-constituted and that section of the Law should be amended to include NULGE as a member, adding, if they say Medical and health Workers should be members, as a matter of fact, we don’t even see the need for them, NULGE is the appropriate union to be there.

But if medical and health workers union should be there, well!.

Barr Ajinwo further told The Weekend Tide that they’re relating with the local Lgovernment chairmen that were newly elected, with a view to seeing that they walk as a team for the interest of the 3rd tier system.

Justus Awaji

Entertainment

World Music Day: Alliance Française Port Harcourt Showcases Talents

Published

3 weeks ago

June 26, 2025

The Tide

The Garden City of Rivers State Port Harcourt at the weekend joined other parts of the world to celebrate the World Music Day, 2025, as Alliance Française showcases talents.

The event which is internationally known as Fête de la musique was held at cultural hall of the Alliance Française was a remarkable concert with memorable experience.

The event brought together music lovers, students, Artistes and members of the community For an exciting evening live performances and cultural exchange.

The Tide Entertainment reports that the world Music Day, which was created 1982 in France by the then Minister of culture, Jack Lang, ‘ Fête de la Musique’ is now celebrated in more than 100 countries every 21st June, marking the first day of summer with free concerts and musical showcases in public spaces.

In Port Harcourt, the Alliance Française honoured the tradition by spotlighting four(4) emerging artistes offering a platform to young talents shaping the city’s contemporary scene.

The audience enjoyed an unforgettable moments as they were entertained by the powerful performances from Preach A, who is known for blending fitness culture with spoken words and rhythm.

Also, artiste Emmayany delivering a vibrant fusion of afrobeat and afro pop. A singer, song writer and a performing artiste with a distinct sound.

Others were Amarachy Uko, a sensational singer with passion for soul , R&B, pop music and afrobeat.

While DJ Prospel closed the night with an energetic DJ set that got the entire hall dancing.

Earlier, the Director, Alliance Française, Port Harcourt Mrs Marina Lacal high lighted the mission of the Alliance Française saying that the event was more than a concert.

According to her, the event was put together by the Alliance Française to promote cultural diversity and foster artistic expression by connecting a long standing French tradition with creativity of the local music scene, adding that the event offerers an avenue for dialogue between culture and generations.

She stated that the event is used to promote professional and bring amateur artistes to limelight via the platform of the Alliance Française which is aimed at promoting the French Language through cultural heritage.

She explained that the celebration is also a broader series of Fête de la musique activities organized by the 10 Alliance Française across Nigeria in sync with concerts held in France and around the world simultaneously.

She further noted that the occasion reaffirms the role of Alliance Française as a cultural bridge, one where French heritage meets the pulses of Nigerian youth.

It would be recalled that no fewer than 19 artistes applied to perform at the event in Port Harcourt, but only four got approval for appearance.

Entertainment

PMAN Set To Implement Performance Levy ‘Tomorrow

Published

4 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

The Tide

The Governor of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Rivers State chapter, Comrade Moses Mabadeje popularly known as Mozy B said that the body has announced plans to implement performance Levy on artistes in the state with effect from 21st June.

This was carried in a statement released to The Tide Entertainment, yesterday by the Deputy Governor of the association, Comrade Abiye Howells.

According to the Governor, the announcement was made by PMAN, the only governing body that regulates the music profession in Nigeria, as authorized by the Government of Nigeria, in line with the Trade Union Act.

He stated that those affected by the Levy include (Non members)bands, groups, Hotels, Bars, lounges, Event Centres, show organizers, promoters and other stakeholders hosting events which feature live music performances within the State.

However, the Levy does not apply to members of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria. (PMAN).

Comrade Moses Mabadeje, explained that this drive is aimed at financing the association and supporting the welfare and interest of musicians as outlined in Article 8 of the PMAN constitution as amended (2023). Consequently, a PMAN task force has been set up to enforce and swing into action to effect this move.

He further said that event organizers, promoters and owners of event centers are expected to comply with this regulation as the Governor has urged stakeholders to collaborate with the association to ensure the successful implementation of the levy and the peaceful co-existence between PMAN and Stockholders.

Nancy Briggs

Entertainment

“French Up Your Career” PH, 2025 :Consul General Of France Harps On Proficiency In French

Published

4 months ago

March 22, 2025

The Tide

The Consul, General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier has encouraged French Learners to improve their skills on the language, as there are lots of opportunities up for grabs on the job market with fluency in French Language, saying that there are many other career paths which are often less well known to learners of French.

Participants at the “French Up Your Career” event held in Port Harcourt.

Favier who disclosed this during the just concluded third edition of the seminar tagged “French Up Your Career” organized by Alliance

Française, Port Harcourt explained that learning French doesn’t mean adding a language to your resume. It rather provides learners with new opportunities. Irrespective of their area of interest, be it diplomatic and International relations, international development, translation and Interpretation or journalism.

According to the Consul General, it was important to create awareness for young Nigerians in Port Harcourt who desire to have better understanding of how been fluent in French can create diverse career opportunities for users of the languages in Nigeria and the world at large, emphasizing that proficiency in French could possibly make learner a bridge between Nigeria and fast-developing regions.

“You previously heard this morning about how you can improve your French skills. This afternoon you will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,”

“This event comes at the right time, as it launches the celebration of the richness and diversity of French-speaking cultures, which will mobilize us for more than a month throughout Nigeria and alongside other French-speaking countries,” Favier added.

He further highlighted that French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, saying that, it’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.

“There are many neighbouring African countries to Nigeria ,who have French as one of their primary languages of communication including Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So, what does this mean for you as students here in Nigeria?” He asked

“These sectors in which the French Embassy is often mobilized are the business and marketing field for example, as French is often the preferred language in many multinational companies, particularly those in the energy, oil and telecommunications sectors. I’m thinking as well in technology and IT,” he said

He noted that French-speaking countries in Africa are investing heavily in tech, innovation, and infrastructure, revealing that companies in Tech are looking for bilingual professionals to assist with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions.

“The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors. We are also providing our support and expertise in

training teachers and optimizing university programs,” he summed up

Also, the linguistics cooperation attaché, French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange, who also gave a lecture at the seminar, in an interview with Newsmen said that the main purpose of the seminar was to be more informative and supportive to those who want to make a skill out of French Language,saying that as the linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy it is her duty to promote French language through culture.

She cited traditional stereotypes as a major challenge affecting the growth and development of French in Nigeria, as school, teachers at the primary and secondary level in most cases teach French using the traditional way, where students learn French, but could not put words and grammar together as a skill for communicate.

“French is important. I don’t see French as colonization, l see French as a key to embrace globalization, l hope that learners will be inspired and ready to embrace the global village,” Losange said.

She however said that the French Embassy is working to ensure that equipments to facilitate the learning of French is put in place to enable learners improve their skills fast, which in two to three years learners should be able to communicate with French, advising learners to be intentional with learning the language, through social media and other workable devices to advance their skills for certification and better opportunities.

Highlight of the event which had about 250 participants in attendance was the eloquence award ceremony where students were awarded for their eloquence in French language by the Director, Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs.Marina Lacal alongside the Linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange.

After two edition of the seminar it was the turn of the Alliance Française, Port Harcourt to host the Third edition.

It would be recalled that the first edition of ” “French Up Your Career” event was organized at the Alliance Française Lagos on October 23, the second one at UNILAG on November 24, 2024 respectfully.