RVHA Orders Query For Director

Rivers State House of Assembly recently directed the state Head of Service (HOS) to issue a query to the Director of Administration, Ministry of Health, Mrs Crystal Soberekon over negligence of duty.

This was part of the resolution of the House, following debate on the report of protest against unjustiable lay-off from service by one Mr. Barikor Deekor and others presented by the House Committee chairman On public Complaints and Petitions, Hon.  Michael Okey-Chinda.

Announcing the resolution, the presiding speaker, Hon. Leyii Kwanee said the House wants to see a copy of the query and the response, noting that the era when House resolutions were treated with levity was over and directed the clerk to communicate their resolution accordingly.

The Assembly agreed with the recommendations of the committee that the appointment letters of the affected persons be released to them with immediate effect, and given appropriate levels, taking into consideration their date of first appointment.

In his report, Hon. Okey-Chinda, said the committee discovered that the petitioner and others were temporarily engaged as motor vehicle drivers with the free medical care programme (FMCP), in 2000 under the Rivers State Ministry of Health.

He further explained that as part of efforts to sustain the programme started by Governor Peter Odili’s administration in 2000, the eight drivers previously engaged as causals had their appointments formalized, following the approval granted by the state governor in April 22, 2008.

According to the chairman, “the civil service commission, following the minutes of the Departmental Selection Board (DSB) and subsequent approval by His Excellency, issued letters of appointment to the affected drivers”.

The report regretted that the appointment letters of the affected drivers among them, Barikor Deekor, Collins Ndamati and Chinda Chizi duly delivered by the civil service commission to director of Administration Ministry of Health on July 8,2008, were not released to them and no reason was given for this action