News
Reps Root For Council On Public Procurement
As part of efforts to check corruption and ensure due process and probity in the civil service, the House of Representatives has suggested the establishment of a National Council on Public Procurement in the country.
The House of Representatives is making efforts for the establishment of the Council on Public Procurement through its Committee on Public procurement which has met many times since the inauguration of the 7th National Assembly last June, with the issue on the front burner.
The Tide learnt in Abuja that the committee would make recommendations on this and submit same to the House at plenary as soon as it is through with fine-tuning its position on the proposed council.
A member of the committee, Hon Austin Ogbaburhon affirmed in an interview with The Tide that the committee is really passionate about the establishment of the Council on Privatization in Nigeria and was not relenting but making meaningful progress on the issue, adding that this has been a major problem to the committee.
According to Hon. Ogbaburhon, “The problem we are having is that public procurement suppose to have a Council but since our inception in ( June), 2007, we discovered that there is no council, so we’re working very hard to see there’s a council (over seeing) that place(Public Procurement). The purpose of that is to ensure they follow due process.”
Noting that the recent nation-wide strike embarked upon by Labour and civil society groups has thrown up a lot of issues bothering on corruption and accountability, Hon Ogbaburhon assured that the committee will not relent until the Council is established, adding however that those charged with public procurement in the country were doing well so far, as “we’ve not heard anything contrary” about them. Hon. Ogbaburhon who is also a member of the House Committee on Public Accounts further disclosed that the committee is putting measures in place to effectively address the issue of ghost workers in the federal civil service, with a view to nipping it in the bud.
“We’re committed to transparent budget implementation; we want to make sure that salaries are paid promptly and paid without having ghost workers involved; we really want to ensure this”, he assured, and expressed the hope that with the House ad-hoc committees currently investigating past budgets/how petroleum ‘subsidy’ money was spent, and determined to unravel alleged shady deals involved, coupled with the appointment of a new boss for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),”this time around, they’ll be more careful” with budget implementation..
Justus Awaji, Abuja
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
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
News
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.
-
Rivers24 hours ago
HOS Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP … As Project Sensitization Team Visit Degema, AKULGA
-
News23 hours ago
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman
-
Opinion23 hours ago
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
-
Niger Delta20 hours ago
HYPREP Trains Lab Technicians To Standardise Water Quality In Ogoniland
-
News23 hours ago
Tinubu, Govs Forum Congratulate Okpebholo On S’Court Victory …As Obaseki Expresses Disappointment
-
Politics24 hours ago
Lagos LG Polls: Police Restrict Movement, Tightens Security
-
Rivers22 hours ago
VALVA Restates Commitment Education Advancement, Literacy In Nigeria
-
Politics23 hours ago
Obey Order On AA In Six Days, Court Directs INEC, Yakubu