Business

Board Arrests 9 For Issuing Fake Licences

Published

12 years ago

October 6, 2014

NAE Vice Chairman/Managing Director, Massimo Insulla (left), Chairman, House Committee on Local Content, Honourable Asita O. Asita and Chairman PETAN, Engr Emeka Ene (right) among others during the signing of MoU between NAE and PETAN, in Port Harcourt last Thursday.

The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) has handed nine persons to the Police for investigation and prosecution for alleged issuance of fake vehicle licences and plate numbers to the public.
Chairman of the board Mrs Onene Osila Obele-Oshoko who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen last Friday in Port Harcourt said that some of the suspects were staff of the Board who converted part of the Board premises into their offices with the intention of duping unsuspecting members of the public.
Obele-Oshoko said that the Board is awaiting investigation by the Police with the view to taking action.
The Board she said is no relenting in its effort to stamp out touts, stressing that every monetary transaction involving the Board must be done through the banks.
She also said that to ease the process of vehicles licensing, the Board has opened new revenue outlets in Diobu, Eleme, Oyigbo and others while a template has been designed by the Board to reach out to people.
The Chairman used the occasion to urge the general public to desist from patronising touts, stressing that every transaction must be duly verified.
She also decried the continued harassment of staff of the Board by some companies and urged for a halt to it.
On the issue of double taxation, she said that the Rivers State House of Assembly is working on a bill to streamline the issue, but noted that every tax presently being paid in the state is backed up by law.
She further said that the issue of stickers by Local Government Councils is also being addressed.

Ebola: RTC Introduces Temperature Scanner At PH Park
Emmanuel Okon

As a measure towards preventing the spread of Ebola virus disease among drivers and passengers, the management of Rivers transport Company (RTC) have introduced infrared temperature scanners at its Park in Port Harcourt.
The company has also made available hand sanitizers at the various points of the Park for all drivers and passengers to wash their hands before boarding any vehicle.
The Chief Safety Officer of the company, Prince Ndamati disclosed this in an interview with The Tide in his office at Waterlines, Port Harcourt recently.
Ndamati said the company had also partner with a medical Doctor that has been educating and enlightening the drivers and passengers, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) have also organised programmes to sensitise people at the RTC Park on Ebola disease.
He said that with the enlightenment, it is now compulsory for every passenger to sanitise their hands, adding that any driver or passenger whose temperature is above 27 degree centigrade after being tested with the infrared temperature scanner were discouraged or asked not to travel but to go for medical check-up, so that in case of Ebola virus, it could not be transmitted to others in the vehicle.
According to him, they also acquired an equipment to test all their drivers and that it is compulsory that they must pass the test free from alcohol and their hands sanitized properly.
Ndumati however noted that the major challenge that they are facing in the park had been passengers refusing to write their correct names and addresses on the manifest, and appealed to all to comply with the rules and regulations of the Park.

RSG Blames Road Construction delays On Litigations
Collins Barasimeye

The delay in the construction of some road projects in Rivers State has been attributed to litigations and professional advice.
The Commissioner for Works, Hon. Victor Giadom, made this known when members of the Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) paid him a courtesy visit in his office recently.
Giadom said the various litigations against the Ministry by property owners would have been averted if there had been proper synergy, good counseling and better relationship between the Ministry and the Institute, and called on members to give the Ministry proper professional advise that would avoid litigations by property owners.
According to him, although, when the valuations were made by members of the Institution, some encouraged property owners to engage the Ministry in series of litigations, pointing out that Rivers State has a short period of construction in each year because of its geographical terrain and that the litigations have delayed the execution of road projects in the state.
He, however, assured members of the Institute that his Ministry would continue to partner with them in ensuring that, “you deliver good expertise in the business of valuation and payment of compensation to property owners which are key aspects of our services”.
The Works Commissioner, however, decried the attitude of some members of the Institute for inciting property owners against the Ministry in litigations for claims as a result of economic reasons, and enjoined them to maintain proper standard in the practice of their profession.
Earlier in his speech, the State Branch Chairman of the Institute, Mr. Dapo Olaiya expressed gratitude to the Ministry for granting their members opportunity to be involved in road development services in the state, and opined that the visit was also an opportunity for them to inform him of their recent election of new executive council members and appealed to him to attend as a Special Guest during the inauguration.
Olaiya apologized for the litigations which arose as a result of sharp practices of some of their members and further hinted that the inauguration would give them an opportunity to discuss on current professional practices in the Institution.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.