Niger Delta

Dickson Moves To Rid Civil Service Of Ghost Workers

Published

12 years ago

November 8, 2013

Bayelsa State Governor,
Hon. Seriake Dickson and his deputy Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah have submitted themselves for the ongoing staff verification and biometric capturing exercise in the state.
The Governor and his deputy including some top government functionaries were captured by the team of experts at the Due Process Office, Yenagoa and were issued certificates as well as Automated Verification Cards, with serial numbers.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the exercise, Governor Dickson stressed his administration’s resolve to rid the State Government’s payroll of ghost workers so as to plan effectively for its workers
He gave January 2014 as deadline for the ongoing Verification and Biometric Capturing Exercise in the State, warning that any worker not captured would forfeit his or her salary.
According to him, the exercise when completed and fully operational will also enable public servants use the automated verification cards to have access to their salaries, clock in and out from duty as well as tax payment.
.“As you are all aware, this State is on a new course; this State is on the course of doing things properly. And let me call on the public servants of this State to cooperate with the officers conducting this exercise. This exercise means so much to us because we want to, for once and for all, put an end to the syndrome of ghost workers on our payroll.
“We want to be able to identify who our workers are and plan and cater for them. I am happy that the measures that we have put in place since coming on board have yielded some dividends but this appears to be the most scientific way of determining who should be on our payroll. And I want to commend you all. I have heard that you have already verified a few Ministries, Departments and Agencies, so I want to call for cooperation on the part of the public servants that will be verified.
The Governor explained that, though the verification process would continue, he called on all public servants to participate in the verification, as there would be no sacred cows in the exercise.
“No one will be left out; no one should be left out. Everything that has to be done in the verification process must be done, that is the message my Deputy and I are here to send, that nobody is above verification. No connection will stop you from being verified. No level of seniority will stop you from the verification. And verification officers here have our mandate to do everything you need to do, properly and thoroughly,” he said.
He remarked that in due course the exercise would extend to health personnel and teachers especially those in the rural areas as they constitute the bulk of the rot in the public service system.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Treasury and Accounts, Mr. Timipre Seipulou highlighted the characteristics of the Automated Verification Card and presented the cards to the Governor and his Deputy.
Mr. Seipulou who doubles as Project Director of the Verification and Biometric Data Capturing Committee, noted that the card would capture the physical evidence of the worker, and also grant workers access to certain locations.

L-R: Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, UNFPA country representative, Ms Victoria Akyeampong and Resident Coordinator, UN System in Nigeria, Mr Daouda Toure, at the inauguration of UN House donated by Cross River Government in Calabar, last Tuesday.
Phhoto: NAN

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

6 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

6 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

6 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.