Politics
Rivers Lawmakers And Companies Employment Law
Few months after its inauguration, the 7th Rivers State House of Assembly appears set to dispense its legislative duties with clout and political will.
In what could be regarded as its first litimus test, the House recently demonstrated a bold move to expand its legislative over sight function to cover sensitive areas for public concern and good governance.
Interestingly, the state also by its strategic location and enormous economic potentials play host to multinational companies operating with divest business concern and interests.
As one of its oversight functions, the House recently moved to check the activities of these multinationals, in terms of compliance to international best practices, and corporate social responsibilities to their host communities.
The House also as a form of appraisal resolved to access the extent of implementation of the State Employment Law, by the various companies operating in the state.
The Rivers State Employment law, known as Junior Workers (Enforcement) Law 2000, stipulates in part that, “all companies or persons having a place of business in Rivers State and having a total minimum of staff of twenty persons shall employ indigenes of Rivers State into junior staff positions in such places or business”. The law was a decisive policy of the Assembly to reduce unemployment in the state, but investigations reveal that Rivers indigenes are yet to fully benefit from the policy, due to the skewed practices of multi-national companies.
The House inquisition therefore stem mostly from public outcry over alleged violation of the policy by the companies.
The issue was brought on the floor of the House recently, through a motion moved by the Deputy Leader, Hon. Ewor Nname, representing Ahoada East Constituency 1.
Hon. Ewor drew the attention of the House to the crisis of unemployment and environmental pollution in the state, following the failure of multinationals to respond to their corporate social responsibilities.
The deputy leader, noted that most of the multinationals deliberately defy the Global Memorandum of Understanding, (GMoU), signed with their host communities, and other civilized norms and practices which they strictly comply with at their foreign roots. The fallout of this indiscreet actions according to the lawmaker, is a “devastated environment and denigrating poverty in the Niger Delta”.
Hon. Ewor was explicit in his prayers as he specifically pointed out the companies to face the scrutiny of the House.
They include, Shell Petroleum Development Company, (SPDC), AGIP, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, (NLNG) Total E&P, Intel Services, Eleme Petrochemicals, Saipem, Schlumberger, BJ Services, Grinaker, Chevron, Trans Ocean, Halliburton, Ibeto Cement, Dangote Cement, and ZB Joint Ventures.
Hon. Ewor among other prayers, urged the House to call on the multinationals to provide the lists of Rivers people in their employment from the date of effect of the law.
Considering the importance of the issue, Hon. Ewor, said the Assembly should give it deserving attention, as glossing over the matter would amount to compromising the fate of Rivers people.
The Deputy Leader’s motion was substantiated by mother motion by Hon. Martins Amaewhule representing, Obio/Akpor constituency 1. Hon. Amaewhule presented Pabod Breweries, against Rivers indigenes the case of slave labour, allegedly perpetrated in its employment referring to a petition from the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, Pabod Breweries branch, Hon. Amaewhule informed the House of the allegations of arbitrary sacking and discriminating salary structure against Rivers indigenes working in Pabod Breweries.
The two motions received the overwhelming support of members and they gave a unanimous consent through a bloc vote.
Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, who presided over the session constituted a 10-man adhoc committee to investigate the allegations against the companies and report back to the Assembly. The adhoc committee is headed by the House Leader, Hon. Chidi Lloyd.
Public reactions have since trailed the move by the Assembly to check the activities of companies operating in the state.
Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in Rivers State, Mr. Jerry Needam, had in a press statement lauded the state assembly over its moves. The Rivers State ACN spokesman urged the Assembly to make its investigations thorough and devoid of any iota of compromise, and ensure that defaulting companies are brought to book.
Needam who berated some of the mult-inationals over their non-conformist status, said the state House of Assembly owe the people of Rivers State a sense of responsibility to enforce compliance on their part, especially to the Rivers state employment laws.
A stakeholder and concerned Rivers citizen, Jacob Frank Peters, described the move by the state assembly as a “test of legislative will”.
Peters told The Tide in an interview that is was ironical for qualified Rivers indigenes to roam the streets without jobs, despite the presence of multinational companies all over the state.
He said the employment law in the state should be reviewed to create opportunities for Rivers people to work also in administrative cadres of the various companies.
According to Peters, “issues of environmental neglect in the state should be given prime attention by the lawmakers, because the people depend entirely on their natural environment for survival”. He added that above every consideration; “the business concern of the multinational companies is of paramount interest to them, and they will stop at nothing to get their way”.
An environmental sociologist, Dr. Steve Wodu, said the Rivers State House of Assembly should be proactive in their enforcement of the employment law. According to him, “short of the unwinking vigilance of a no mean institution like the House of Assembly, the companies will continue to operate on double standard”. The environmentalist also cautioned the lawmakers against the antics of the oil firms.
As the adhoc committee commences its sittings Rivers people are following up the unfolding event to see the extent the scrutiny of the state assembly will check the excesses of the multi-nationals.
Reports however indicate traces of intractability on the part of most of the multi-national companies, as revealed in the manner of their response to the invitation of the committee. Many of the companies, were said to have outrightly shunned the invitation of the committee or sent representatives other than the management of the companies.
Analists believe that if the Assembly fails to confront the powerful multinationals with political will, then the inquisition of the House would have been dead on arrival.
Taneh Beemene
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar
A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.