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Niger Delta

Vandalism:CRSG To Provide WAEC Alternative Office

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4 years ago

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Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, says the state government will provide an alternative office and two Hilux operational vehicles for the West African Examination Council (WAEC),  after hoodlums vandalised its building on October 24.
Ayade announced this when he visited the premises of the examination body yesterday in Calabar, to assess the extent of destruction.
The governor, who pleaded with the management of WAEC to shelve its planned relocation from the State said the state government would immediately make the provisions to ease its operations in the state.
“Let me once more apologise profusely to WAEC management for what has happened because this is not in the nature and character of Cross River people. We deeply regret this.
“But I have to plead with you that you do not need to relocate to Akwa Ibom. We are going to immediately provide an alternative office.
“We will do everything we can because it is necessary for you to operate from here so that we can have quality examination, quality teaching and ensure that Cross River citizens also prosper and become who they want to become in the society.
“Moving out from here to Akwa Ibom will not serve the interest of Cross River citizens. I sincerely feel that we can have an emergency action plan that can help you restore this office.
“But, before we do that, I have given an instruction that an emergency accommodation be provided for WAEC with two pick up vehicles to enable you get back on your feet,” he said.
Ayade said that the young people who carried out the dastardly act were ignorant of the consequences of their actions.
“So, please let us not visit their sins on them, let us forgive them because that is what the Bible teaches,” he added.
According to him, should WAEC leave the state, it will affect the quality of WAEC examination in Cross River, adding that government had a list of all the items needed and will do its best to keep the office operational.
Speaking earlier, , Senior Deputy Registrar, Text Development Division, Mrs Frances Iweha-Onuku thanked the governor for the visit and pleaded for assistance.
“The office was established to serve the people of Cross River, but unfortunately what we are seeing here today leaves so much to be desired.
“The question is can we still serve the people of this state with the office in this condition?
“With the situation on ground now, we have to relocate to Uyo. We have an examination coming up in the next few weeks and we will have to plan for the exams.
“At the end of this visit, we will plead that whatever you can do with the special Grace of God so that we can continue to serve the people of Cross River, will be very much appreciated,” she added.

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Niger Delta

Eno Approves N2bn For Gratuity Payment 

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6 hours ago

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May 8, 2024

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Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has approved the sum of N2 billion for the payment of gratuities for April, 2024.
Eno announced the approval while addressing workers at the 2024 May Day celebration in Uyo.
He said the State Government had so far disbursed about N16.1 billion for the payment of gratuities to retired civil servants in the state.
”We disburse money every month for the payment of gratuities to our retirees. I have approved another N2 billion for gratuity payment for April”, he said.
The Governor promised to implement the national minimum wage to workers in the state, once approved by the Federal Government.
”We are waiting for the process to be concluded and approved. We shall pay the new minimum wage to our workers”, he said.
According to him, Akwa Ibom State Government would recruit more healthcare workers to ensure effective service delivery in the health sector.
Eno pledged his administration’s commitment to promote the welfare of workers.
”I urge workers in the state to key into our government’s development agenda in the interest of our people”,  he said.
Earlier, the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunny James, urged the Governor to implement the national minimum wage in the state.
He urged governments at all levels to take steps towards cushioning the effect of the current economic hardship on the people.
The NLC Chairman urged Eno to provide vehicles for civil servants to lighten the burden of transportation on them.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Comrade Dominic Abang, urged the Governor to tackle fraud in pension administration in the state.
Abang also called for the expansion of the state’s social register to accommodate more persons and ensure wider reach during the distribution of free food items.
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Niger Delta

Monarch Fingers Political Class On Community’s Socio-economic Woes

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6 hours ago

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May 8, 2024

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Paramount Ruler of Owei-wari Community of Biseni Clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, HRH Elijah Opia Churchman, has alleged that some members of the political class in the clan were against the socio-economic prosperity and development of his community.
The royal father stated this recently at the State Secretariat complex, Yenagoa, the state capital, during an interview with Journalists shortly after his exit from the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, where he said he was currently pursuing a case the community instituted against some alleged anti-development agents.
He said while the Owei-wari Community used to be a compound in one of the communities of the kingdom, some years ago as landlords and host of an oil firm operating in the area, the compound having been overwhelmed by the constant outcry of marginalization by its people, moved for recognition as an autonomous community in the clan.
The monarch, who also bared his mind on the intentions of a group called “the Progressive Minded forum of Biseni clan”, said the group has been a strong advocate of the creation of more clans for the people of Biseni in which his community would also be a clan.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the continued pursuit of peace, progress and development of his community and the entire clan, noting, however, that for years now some members of the political class in the area have conspicuously been working against the realization of the dreams and yearnings of the Owei-wari Community.
“We’re working assiduously to see that at least six clans are created in the current Biseni clan so that Owei-wari Community with over 13 settlements becomes one of them, but some politicians and a few of their followers in the clan are working against us for no obvious reasons.
“We’ve advised the King of Biseni Clan that his scope of domain should extend to all Biseni communities and lands from the Orashi River, River Nun, through River Niger so that he can oversee the entire six clans that we plan to create in the kingdom.
“In our thinking as it were, now that we’ve Okordia/Biseni/Zarama in Yenagoa Local Government Area for the state House of Assembly constituency, when more clans are created in Biseni in which communities like Egbebiri, Tein, Toboru, Akpede and Owei-wari would become clans, then as a kingdom, whenever it’s our turn to produce the Assembly member we can then rotate it amongst the clans in Biseni Kingdom and not as it were presently”, the royal father said.
He continued that, “We think that it’s going to be of political, social and economic advantage to us as a clan, but some members of the political class were bent on undoing Owei-wari Community and the clan in general.
“As a community, recently we’ve written to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to develop all the satellite villages and fishing camps to modern cities in Owei-wari and make them economically viable.
“So, by our expectations, some are to have the status of academic cities, industrial cities, etc.”.
Ariwera  Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Niger Delta

N40,000 Minimum Wage Disappoints C’River Workers

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6 hours ago

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May 8, 2024

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Some workers in Cross River State have expressed disappointment at Governor Bassey Otu’s announcement pegging the new minimum wage for workers in the state at N40,000.
The workers shared their displeasure in separate interviews with The Tide’s source in Calabar.
It will be recalled that Otu, while addressing workers on Wednesday, said that the State Government would pay N40,000 as the new minimum wage to its workers.
The Governor had listed lean allocation from the centre and unfavourable Gross Domestic Product to debt servicing ratio as some of the reasons for the decision.
Eno said the State Government would rely on the realities of the time in making decisions towards the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Speaking to the source, Mr Emmanuel Ekanem, a civil servant in the state, described the N40,000 announced by the Governor as “far below” the expectations of workers.
He said such pronouncement did not showcase the Governor as a leader who understood the yearnings of his people.
”At a time when a bag of rice is sold between N70,000 and N80,000, declaring N40,000 as minimum wage is terribly poor and unacceptable”, he said.
Mrs Isu Ewe, a judiciary staff, said she was disappointed at the pronouncement, and urged the Governor to take another look at the decision.
”I expected to hear at least N60,000 as the new minimum wage for the workers in the state. The hardship is too much.
”What can N40,000 buy? Workers have school fees to pay, parents to take care of and rent to pay.
”The Governor should really look at the situation of things in the country and do something about the take-home of workers”, she said.
Another civil servant, Mr Edem Enoh, said  workers did not expect such pronouncement from the Governor, describing it as hasty.
He urged the State Government to avoid over-dependence on federal allocation, look inwards and devise other sources of income.
”The welfare of the people should be top on the government’s priority list. This pronouncement is hasty and unacceptable”, he said.
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