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Work Resumes Today After Moslems Holidays
Major motor parks in Port Harcourt metropolis, including the popular Abali Park and the Mile Three Motor Park, came alive yesterday as citizens who travelled to the countryside to celebrate the Moslems Sallah holidays started returning to Port Harcourt.
At the Abali Park, a civil servant, told The Tide that the Sallah celebration was without colour as he did not receive his October salary before travelling to his village for the Sallah.
However, he gave kudos to the Federal Government for stabiling the price of petroleum products which help to ensure there was no transport fare hike during the Sallah period.
Also speaking to The Tide, Miss Mary Adam said the Sallah holidays were a period of sober reflection for Nigerians, saying, it was not a mere coincidence that the Sallah fell on a Sunday, the day of worship for Christians.
She said the coincidence provided both Moslems and Christians in the country an opportunity to reflect on their relationship and live as brother and sisters.
But Mr Christopher Amadi was of the opinion that the Federal Government should take proactive measures to checkmate the Boko Haram Islamic sect that is unleashing terror in some parts of Nigeria.
He said this was necessary as the sect had gone haywire, destroying valuable lives and property without any hindrance.
The Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, yesterday saw a huge number of passengers returning from the Eid-El-Kabir holidays across the nation.
Our correspondent recalls that the Federal Government had declared November 7 and November 8 as public holidays for the celebration of Eid-El-Kabir.
The Tide correspondent, who was at the airport, reported seeing hundreds of passengers exiting the arrival hall of terminal 2 of the MMA and the General Aviation Terminal of the airport.
Two of them told our correspondent that they were Lagos-based and hoped to resume work on Wednesday.
Mr Segun Atobatele, who works with an oil company on Lagos Island, said: “My family is in Abuja. I went to spend the holidays with them; it is great to be with one’s family and have fun with them.
“My flight was very smooth and there was a lot of passengers in the aircraft.’’.
A female civil servant, who pleaded anonymity, said that she had to come back to resume work on Wednesday at the state secretariat, Alausa.
She commended the government for the holidays, noting that it allowed some workers to have enough rest and take care of their health condition.
A businesswoman, Mrs Fatimah Jimoh, told newsmen that she had to come back to supervise her fashion and eatery business in Surulere.
Jimoh, who came back with her two kids, said that the holidays had given workers the opportunity to relax with their families.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.