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Transporter Lambasts Ex-Service Men Franchise Scheme

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The operations of the ex-service men transport franchise scheme in Rivers State have been described as a duplicated free trade extortion scheme, formed to deceive the transport public.

It has also been referre to as a false transport franchise scheme that has no locus standing, and does not have a legal ground to operate.

The President of the Rivers Transport and Investment Cooperative Union Limited (RTICUL), Mr. Tubonimi Wokoma, who made this assertion while speaking to The Tide business in Port Harcourt, said that the ex-service transport scheme operators have no reason by law to operate such scheme.

According to the cooperative transport president, “who are the ex-service men, and what is the difference between the ex-service and the Legion? Are the operators of the scheme members of retired service men of the Nigerian armed forces?

He queried, “which official government gazzettee recognises the so called ex-service men? I know that recognition cannot be given to both “Nigerian Legion” and ex-service men at the same time to represent the group of retired armed forces men”.

Mr. Wokoma went further to allege that the operators of the scheme are people who do not have respect of the rule of law, but would always device means of extorting from the transport public.

As a transporter, he said, he will not fold hands to see some group of people using illegality to extort from the public.

He pointed out that there will not be problem if Nigerian legion, which is a known group, organizes to assist themselves by pulling their resources together to form transport scheme, but that the bad aspect is that people who are not retired service men hijack and hide under any name to extort from the public.

On his part, the General Manager of the NLC Corporate Franchise scheme, Messiah Musan, has posited that the ex-service scheme is a mere imposition by a group of impostors that have interest in the extortion of transporters.

Mr. Musan alleged that the existence of the ex-service men transport scheme is a complete fraud in the transport system, adding that, it is so disappointing these days that some group of people can just wake up one day and bear any name in the process of running a Franchise transport, just to make money, and on the other hand causing confusion and duplication of efforts.

However, when The Tide visited the office of ex-service scheme at Ikwerre road, Port Harcourt, one  clerk said that the ex-service scheme has replaced the Legion Mass transit scheme, and that legion is dead.

But when The Tide called on the office of Legion to ascertain the true position, it was gathered that the Legion Mass Transit, still remains the body organising the Nigerian legion mass transit.

The Cordinator of Rivers State Legion Mass transit, Mr. Prince Chinedu said that he got such information, but that the operators of ex-service scheme broke away from the legion, and that every claim they make is false, since they do not have backing of the law for existence.

 

Corlins Walter

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Mile 2-Jetty Toxic Leakage: SEREC Worries Over Environmental Pollution 

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The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has raised alarm over the environmental pollution at Mile 2 Jetty following a sunken barge which cargo is leaking.
SEREC noted that the sunken barge has led to chemical pollution at the Mile 2 Jetty adding that the continued rainfall has worsened toxic leakage into the waterways, threatening marine life and public health.
In a Press Statement, the Head of Research, SEREC, Dr. Eugene Nweke, said the incident calls for immediate institutional reform of Nigeria’s barge operations.
According to him, independent findings showed that industrial chemicals stacked at a “shipping terminal and nearby bridge locations have been seeping into surrounding waters, with minimal visible regulatory response”.
He said the development was a wake-up call to strengthen the governance and administrative architecture of Nigeria’s barge operations adding that they are currently weakly coordinated across multiple agencies.
This, he said, has left gaps in safety enforcement, vessel standards, environmental control as well as emergency response.
In direct response to this and similar recurring incidents, SEREC strongly advocates the creation of a Directorate of Barge Operations and Logistics Services (DBOLS) within the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to be headed by a Director and operationally driven by a Deputy Director of Barge Operations and Logistics Services.
This specialized Directorate would, “Enforce mandatory registration, inspection and certification of all commercial barges and tugs operating along Nigerian inland and coastal routes.
“Institute safety, loading, and environmental standards for barge construction, cargo handling and waste management.
“Develop digital traffic monitoring systems (AIS/GPS) for barge movements to prevent congestion and accidents”, Nweke said
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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“FCCPC Approves Sale Of Chivita|Hollandia To UAC Nigeria PLC 

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UAC of Nigeria PLC (UAC) has announced the completion of it’s in a press release on October 3, 2025, that it has completed the acquisition of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), following approval from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Revealing this in a Press Release, at the Weekend, UAC said the transaction, first disclosed on July 30, 2025, involved the transfer of ownership of CHI Limited, a leading Nigerian food and beverage company best known for its market-dominant Chivita juice and Hollandia dairy brands, to UAC.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director, CHI Limited, Eelco Weber, expressed optimism in the company’s future under UAC’s ownership.
“We are pleased to have received regulatory approval for this transaction. We look forward to a smooth transition and to seeing Chivita|Hollandia thrive under UAC’s ownership,” he said.
Group Managing Director of UAC, Fola Aiyesimoju, highlighted the strategic importance of the acquisition saying “We are excited to officially welcome the Chivita|Hollandia team and brands into the UAC family, and we are eager to work together to build on their strong legacy and market leadership”.
The acquisition is expected to strengthen UAC’s position in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, expanding its footprint into the growing juice and dairy markets.
UAC further said that the acquisition aligned with its growth agenda by adding two market-leading brands and a well-established distribution network to its por.
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PenCom Reintroduces Gratuity For Federal Civil Servants

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The National Pension Commission has said it has deployed a framework to restore gratuity for Federal Civil Service under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this at a Stakeholders’ Conference on the Workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for Employees and Pensioners of Federal Government Treasury-Funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies, in Abuja, last Thursday.
Represented by the Acting Commissioner, Technical, PenCom, Hon. Hafiz Kawu Ibrahim, Oloworaran said, “Working with the office of the Head of the Civil Service, a framework has been developed to restore gratuity benefits for federal workers under CPS, in line with Section 4(4) of the PRA 2014.”
The PenCom DG added that “PenCom has enhanced pensions for over 241,000 retirees, representing 80% of those under Programmed Withdrawal. Monthly pensions rose from N12.157 billion to N14.837 billion, effective June 2025.
“Also, since July 2025, no retiree waits to access their pensions. Payments are now immediate, aligned with monthly salary releases from the Federal Ministry of Finance”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the Commission would partner PenCom to examine the current rate of retirement benefits and recommend appropriate mechanisms for periodic reviews of retirement benefits.
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