Niger Delta
Hos Decries Civil Servants’ Attitude To Work
The Head of Service in Cross River State, Barrister Ekpenyong Henshaw has frowned at the unproductive attitude of some Civil Servants who do not take their work seriously.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Public Service, Office of the Head of Service, Mr Emmanuel Enene Eke, expressed his concern during an unscheduled inspection visits to Ministries, Departments and Agencies located with the Ministry of Finance premises in Calabar.
Mr. Eke said he was surprised that as at 9:20am no staff of the Department of Political and Legislative Affairs had reported for work coupled with an untidy environment.
At the Ministry of Finance, it was observed that records were poorly kept and no nominal roll on each of the attendance registers and he observed that, out of the 22 staff from grade levels 7 to 13 only 13 staff were present.
Mr Eke used the occasion to solicit the cooperation of the Permanent Secretary to restore the loose standards of the service, urging all staff to ensure they resume duties by 8:00am.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Ikang Gabriel Francis said he will do everything to revive the culture of efficient service delivery and punctually to work.
Also at the Debt Management Department out of 10 staff only 4 were present; there was no proper attendance register. While at the Department of Diaspora Matters, it was observed that only one out of 5 staff was present, while attendance register was also poorly kept.
At the Department of Prosecution and Recovery of Public Assets, the Head of Service expressed dissatisfaction as only out of 6 staff of the Department was present while the attendance register was in bad condition.
Speaking with the Director of Administration, Mr Ben T. Olom, the Head of Service called on Civil servants to support the Government by keeping correct records in order to make the service more result oriented.
Responding, Barr Ben T. Olom, said staff of the Department are hardworking as they equally keep to Key-Performance Evaluation requirements.
Other Departments also visited were Department of Mortgage Finance, Department of Chieftaincy Affairs and Department of Due Process where he took time to check the attendance register and solicited the support of each Permanent Secretaries to look into the possibilities of the service ethics. He called on staff to be proactive and creative in performing their task.
In a separate response, the Permanent Secretary, Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Anthony Ebong said he was always prompt to work as he was serving the public and the Traditional Institution who came from different parts of the State to meet with them, as such, he came to work by 7:30am every day. While the Director of Administration, Department of Due Process, Mr. John A. Ubleble said despite their peculiar challenges, they were making efforts to improve on service delivery.
The inspection visits ended at the office of the Head of Service with a head count of staff who were in their offices which included: the Director of Administration, Mr Ekuri Ogar Bassey, Director, Public Service Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Stephen Eneji, and Director, Human Resource, Mr Evong Bassey with other Principal Officers.
Friday Nwagbara, Calabar
Niger Delta
Bayelsa Reassures Community Of Justice Over Murder Case
The Bayelsa State Government has assured the people of Yenezue-Epie community of the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state of its commitment to ensuring that justice is served over unfortunate incident that led to the death of their son, Moses Akanda.
Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the assurance during the week at a meeting with the leadership of the community, the deceased family, the State Commissioner of Police and other stakeholders in Government House, Yenagoa.
A statement issued by the Media aide to the state’s number two citizen, Mr Doubara Atasi, Tuesday, quotes him as urging security agencies to always be thorough and professional in carrying out their duties.
Ewhrudjakpo stressed that every life, including that of a suspect remains sacred untill proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.
It would be recalled that one Moses Akanda was killed recently at the Yenezue-Epie community during a raid allegedly carried out by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which sparked some protests in the state capital, Yenagoa.
Expressing his condolence and that of the state government to the bereaved family, the Deputy Governor assured that no stone would be left unturned in unravelling the circumstances that led to the death of Mr Akanda.
Consequently, the Bayelsa number two Man has directed the state’s Commissioner of Police to ensure that investigations into the incident be concluded soon for the matter to be charged to court.
“Government is aware that our son, (Moses) was unjustifiably killed. But let us give the police one week to identify the person that shot our son.
“The law is that, if you’re going to arrest a person and the person tries to escape, you shoot below the waist and not above the waist.
“While we’re waiting for the law to take its full course, I really want to appeal to all of us, particularly the bereaved family not to do anything that will make us to be unequally yoked like the killers of our son”, the Deputy Governor said.
He promised that government would support in the burial of the deceased as soon as investigations were concluded as well as take care of the immediate family, particularly the pregnant wife of the slain Moses Akanda.
He, however, cautioned youths and people of Epie Kingdom against frequent resort to street protests as a means of expressing their grievances and demands.
“The doors of the Governor Douye Diri-led Administration are open to receive and handle genuine complaints of communities with a view to addressing them to sustain the prrvailing peace in the state”, he added.
In her remarks, the Member representing Yenagoa Constituency One in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Ayibanegiyefa Egba, described the incident as sad and provocative, noting that such shooting resulting in fatalities had become one too many in Epie kingdom.
The lawmaker, however appealed for calm on the part of the bereaved family and the Yenezue-Epie Community, saying that government was doing everything possible to resolve the matter in the shortest time possible.
In their separate remarks, the Odapiri-Osusu of Epie Kingdom, HRH (Dr.) Ernest Samuel, and the President of the Oguan Youth Council, Mr. Inatimi Timothy, said they were quite pleased with the timely and mature manner the state government was handling the matter through the office of the Deputy Governor.
While appealing to government to look into the plight of the aged mother, Madam Darlin Akanda, and the pregnant widow of the deceased, Mrs Favour Akanda, they pressed for speedy investigation, arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the killing of Moses Akanda.
The Tide reports that among those in the meeting were, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Francis Idu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Mr Collins Ifidi.
Others were, the Paramount Ruler of the Yenizue-Epie community, His Royal Highness Young Akanda, the CDC Chairman, Mr Asuefien Osain, among other stakeholders of the community.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Niger Delta
Cross River Judiciary Unveils Small Claim Courts For Debt Recovery
Twenty Magistrates have been trained by the Cross River State Judiciary in collaboration with the Secretariat of Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to fast-track dispensation of justice to litigants seeking to recover debts in business transactions.
Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Akon Ikpeme, disclosed this last Tuesday in Calabar while answering questions from journalists shortly after the flag-off of the two-day training.
CJ Ikpeme, who spoke after a rigorous seven-hour of training, stated that residents of the state being owed debts in business transactions by thier business associates have no reason to visit higher courts nor hire the services of a lawyer to make recoveries of their money any longer but visit Small Claim Courts to file their complaints.
When asked to explain the reasons behind the Small Claim Courts, the CJ said: “Nigeria is evolving and you know we are really in a business interactive era.
“The aim of the small claims court is that, it’s like the regular courts you are slowed down by technicalities.
“The small claims court is about money liquidation. Somebody is owing you #5mIlion.
“In such a case, you don’t even need a lawyer provided you have genuine papers. Judgement will be dispensed within 60 days.”
She said that hearing and judgement will be fast-tracked in a manner that the bottlenecks of undue delay would be removed in the administration of justice.
“Cases that lasted 10, 15 years before, are to be dispensed within 60 days, particularly cases involving money liquidation.
“Justice has been brought closer to the doorsteps of the people as they do not need to go to the regular courts for small claims,” the CJ explained.
Chairman, Small Claims Court Committee, Justice Elias Abua, who spoke in company of two other Judges – Justice Victor Offiong and Justice Angela Obi – advised members of the public wishing to make recovery of their money to visit Magistrate Court Complex, Moore Road, Calabar to file their complaints.
Niger Delta
Eno Launches Free Food Scheme, Floats N1.5bn Loan Facility In A’Ibom
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has flagged off free food programme and access voucher for the vulnerable people to mitigate the prevailing hunger and poverty exacerbated by the current socio-economic travails in the country.
As a measure to complement the scheme, the Governor, who performed the ceremony at the popular Itam International market, in Itu Local Government Area, also announced the interest – free loan wallet of N1.5 billion for traders and business owners.
The loan facility across the three Senatorial Districts comprising Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket is to be managed by the FADAMA Micro Finance Bank.
The Tide’s source learnt that the free food voucher is a key component of the Bulk Purchases Agency (BPA) Bill that was signed into law last week, and the Board inaugurated by the Governor for quick-to-crash food prices in the state.
“The key responsibility of the Agency, is to provide free staple food items: garri, rice and beans to the most vulnerable through the Social Register (SR),” the Governor explained.
He added that the intervention became necessary to alleviate the sufferings of the people in this trying times.
“We had reviewed all of the options, and this for us, remains the best. We are partnering with the market leaders and I want to thank them for the cooperation we have so far received from them.
“Let me repeat here, that this is purely an interventionist act; the solution to our food security remains the need for us to go back to the farm.
“I have heard of how some of you go to some places to get loans with very high interest rates and that has made the cost of food to go up, and before you finish paying the loans, you cannot meet up with your market or trading obligations anymore.
“I have come to tell you not to take such loans anymore. Consequently, we are releasing Five Hundred Million Naira (N500 million) interest -free loans to each of the three senatorial districts (1.5 billion Naira in total), to help your business,” Eno said.
The Governor also promised to construct a car park, provide solar panel light, modern toilet facilities, all of which were the requests of the leadership of the Itam Market.
He, therefore, directed the Transition Chairmen of the remaining 29 councils, excluding Itu and Uyo Local Government Areas to ensure they launch the free voucher food program next week.
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