Business

Union Tasks RSG On Contributory Pension Scheme …Hails Wike’s Development Strides

Published

11 years ago

August 3, 2015

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (right), receiving an address from the Chairman of SPAT Limited, Mr Maxwell Anuonye, during the grand breaking of the SPATMART Centre, in Port Harcourt.

The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Rivers State council, rose from its 41st State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in Port Harcourt on Thursday, and condemned the Contributory Pension Scheme, as it is operated in the State, describing it as retrogressive and anti-workers.
To this end, the union called for discontinuation of its deductions from the salaries of civil servants in the State.
The union, which made its position known on the issue among other issues in a communiqué signed by its State Chairman, Comrade O.T. Lilly-West and the Secretary, Comrade Dan Otakpo said the operation of the pension scheme in the state does not guarantee the much-desired legal framework and transparency.
The union further called for the reform of the pension scheme, noting that since pension was a future commitment, reforms remained a constant and inevitable process of development.
For this reason, the NCSU, therefore, urged the state government to assess the implication of the pension reforms with a view to correcting its defects and negative impacts.
The union, while further reviewing the events, activities and programmes of the present administration in the State, in less than 60 days of its life span, tacitly passed a vote of confidence on the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, particularly on the giant development strides recorded so far by his administration in the areas of infrastructural development including the zero potholes initiative and payment of workers’ salaries, allowances and pensions.
It also acknowledged the remarkable progress and improvements recorded by the administration at various fronts, and assured Governor Wike of the union’s support to his government’s commitment to the evolution of a modern Rivers State, where people are the primary object of governance.
The NCSU, however, decried the decline in education and training in the State Civil Service, saying, requisite education and training were necessary tools for creating the needed knowledge, skills and competence.
The union, therefore, called on government to urgently adopt a training package for all categories of civil servants in the state.
It also decried the politicisation of career jobs meant for civil servants which it said was prevalent during the immediate past administration, and urged the state government and the Head of Service to address the anomaly.
It equally criticised the way the National housing Fund (NHF) is operated in the state, adding that it has remained inaccessible both by its statutory mandate and modus operandi, stressing that by its design and structure, it might never be able to benefit most civil servants in the state.
The State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade O.T. Lilly_West, while addressing the SEC had earlier commended Governor Nyesom Wike, and appealed to him to ensure the payment of the 2014 Christmas Bonus to civil servants.
Meanwhile, the unit officers and concerned members of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board branch of the NCSU, have passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of Comrade (Mrs) K.C. West for what they described as gross misconduct on her part.
The aggrieved members, who staged a peaceful protest with placards to the No. 14 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt secretariat of NCSU on Thursday, accused the Comrade (Mrs) K.C. West leadership of financial misappropriation, non-holding of meetings, non-attendance to staff welfare and non-inclusiveness.
In a statement signed by Samuel Nworgu, Ezekiel S. Baekee, Frank Nke, Catherine Uzon, Alex Nwankpa, Nwankwo C.Y. and Emmanuel Egbule, they demanded the dissolution of the Comrade (Mrs) K.C. West leadership and the setting up of a five-man caretaker committee to pilot the affairs of the unit in the interim.
In a swift reaction, the Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade O.T. Lilly-West, acting, on the mandate of the SEC, set up a committee to investigate the allegations levelled against the SUBEB unit boss and report back to the union within three weeks.

Donatus Ebi

Business

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

Published

5 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

5 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.