The Rivers State House of Assembly has directed the state Hospitals Management Board to pay the balance of what was left of Princewill Elekima’s entitlements after deducting the amount the board claimed the civil servant allegedly stole leading to his sack in 1989.
The directive was given, last Wednesday by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani after listening to contributions from lawmakers to the report of the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions chaired by the lawmaker representing Ogu/Bolo State Constituency, Hon. Evans Bipi, at the Assembly.
Ibani had argued that it was unfair for the board to selectively obey the advice of the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice on the matter by withholding the balance, after deducting the N11,000.00 that the complainant allegedly stole.
Earlier, members had aligned with the recommendation of the committee that Elekima Princewill had a valid case, demanding that justice be seen to be done in the matter.
Among those who spoke at the plenary were Hons. Sam Ogeh, Martins Amaewhule, B. Anabraba, Friday Nke-eh and Edison Ehie.
In a related development, the Rivers State House of Assembly has also directed the Ministries of Environment, and that of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs to ensure that Total E&P takes immediate steps to address the pollution arising from operational oil spill which affected eight communities in Ahoada–East Local Government Area of the state in 2015.
The decision was taken after debates on the report submitted by the Hon. Evans Bipi-led House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions, which looked into the petitions of the affected communities.
Contributing on the report, Edison Ehie, who noted that the affected communities were in his constituency, disclosed that the area was deserted because of the pollution that affected water and farm lands, destroying the people’s means of livelihood.
Both the speaker and other contributors, however, commended the committee for doing a thorough job, including meeting with the parties involved and visiting the affected communities to see things for themselves.
Observing that relevant federal laws in Nigeria were against the interest of host communities and giving so much leverage to multinational companies to operate without consideration, Ibani regretted the internal displacement of members of the affected communities, with the implication of human inertia among the very old ones among them.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Education has fixed next Wednesday to conduct public hearing on the Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bill 2017.
The public hearing, scheduled to hold at the Rivers State Assembly Auditorium, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt at 10am, will afford stakeholders in the education sector as well as other interested members of the public, avenue to make contributions to the proposed law.
A statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo, stated that copies of the bill “are available for collection in Room 057, First Floor, Assembly Complex.”
The statement further indicated that for those who have memoranda, it should be submitted on or before Tuesday, 14th November, 2017, to the same venue.
It further appealed to all stakeholders, especially Rivers people with interest in how best to reposition the polytechnic to ensure active participation and contribution at the public hearing as the provisions of the bill therefrom would form the fulcrum of the enabling law for the institution, going forward.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Rivers State chapter has suspended its proposed industrial action.
The suspension is coming on the heels of the intervention of the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The Tide reports that the leadership of organized labour in Rivers State had visited PASAN and the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission, last Monday, with a view to consolidating on ongoing dialogue to resolve existing impasse.
Following the interface arising from the visit, it was gathered that both parties had agreed to allow the leaderships of NLC and TUC midwife negotiations between PASAN and the management of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission.
It was learnt that the bone of contention has been the non-payment of statutory four years’ allowances as well as very poor working conditions and staff welfare in the Assembly.
It would be recalled that before the last minute intervention, PASAN was at the verge of a three-day warning strike that would have led to a total industrial action by workers of the Assembly.

L-R: President of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel de Souza, Secretary-General, West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF),Komlan Messie and representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr Ba Abdarrahmane, during the 12th Annual ECOWAS-Development Partners Coordination meeting in Abuja, last Wednesday.