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Unlawful Dismissal: Reps Direct PPPRA Staff’s Reinstatement

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The House of Repre
sentatives may be forced to issue a Bench Warrant on the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) over what it called “unlawful dismissal and or disengagement of one Nwachukwu Loretta and four other officers without fair hearing, saying that the decision violates section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and as such cannot stand.
The Rep Uzoma Nkem-Abonta-led House Committee on Public Petitions also recommend that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources direct the PPPRA to immediately re-instate the disengaged officers, and pay all outstanding entitlements accruing from the date of their termination of services till date.
The five dismissed officers include: Nwachukwu Loretta Chinwe, Nkechi Obiefuna-Ewoh, Pauline Peter Omali, Oyekanmi Isaac Ayodele and Blessing Osagie had approached the House with a petition through their legal representative, Okolocha, Ufua & Co, September 29, 2015, wherein they prayed the House to intervene with a view to reversing their disengagement which they said was done without due process.
The committee, in its report signed by the Chairman, Rep Uzoma Nkem Abonta (PDP, Ukwa East/West Fed Constituency, Abia), said that “the petitioners in their complaints, had expressed shock at their disengagement having been in the services of the agency following their employment at various times between 2004 and 2006, during which time they had performed their duties satisfactorily thereby meriting confirmation and gaining commendation and promotions for jobs well done.
“Surprisingly, sometime in 2014, their appointments were respectively purported to have been terminated in a most capricious manner via a letter dated December 30, 2014, captioned ‘Letter of Disengagement from the Service of The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency’.
“That by dint of hard work and diligence, they were at various times promoted, and variously expressly commended for satisfactory services, and in some cases sponsored for further training abroad, or appointed to special positions meant for the most competent and dedicated staff, that throughout their service, they were not found wanting in the performance of their duties whether on moral, physical or intellectual grounds”, the petition read.
However, in its submission before the committee, the PPPRA via a letter with reference number: A.3/8/916/C.363/Vol.I/59, dated 12th April, 2016, and addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly, told the committee that it was constrained to reinstate the petitioners due to the gravity of their offences.
It said: “I wish to refer to your letter No.: NASS/CAN/105/Vol.21/163 dated 10th March, 2016, on the above subject, and to most respectfully state that the agency is constrained to reinstate Nwachukwu Loretta Chinwe and four other disengaged staff as they were found culpable of falsification of age, among others, in contravention of the Public Service Rule (PSR) Article 030402(a) for which they were liable for dismissal under Article 030401 of the PSR.
“I will also like to state that the agency was magnanimous to have commuted their dismissal to disengagement to enable them enjoy full benefits”, the PPPRA said in its reply.

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Why Wike Is Playing God In Rivers -Asari Dokubo

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A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is “playing god” in the current political crisis that has pitched him against the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Dokubo also chided President Bola Tinubu for, according to him, handing over “Rivers and Bayelsa” to the ex-governor.
“He is now playing god. It is dead on arrival, all those things that he is doing,” Dokubo said in a video that surfaced on X.com on Monday.
He added, “I advise my friend, President Bola Tinubu; what you are doing to all Ijaw, Ikwerre people in Rivers State (sic). You took Rivers state and gave it one man”
In April, Fubara revealed that the administration has raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from N12 billion which he met upon assumption of office to N27 billion.
Dokubo described the development as commendable while alleging that the governor only had access to N6 billion when he assumed office.
“The governor had come out to say that the IGR for Rivers State is now N27bn up from N12bn. The governor is even being economical with the truth. When the governor came in, they were giving him a paltry sum of N6bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another twist to the ongoing crisis, Fubara on Monday said that he would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
He disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticized recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
He stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

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Investors, Tourists To Get Visa Within 48 Hours, FG Assures

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The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a tripartite committee to streamline visa processes and acquisition for investors interested in investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this, yesterday, after the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our visa processes are becoming cumbersome. The ease of doing business is also tied to our visa processes.
“Going forward, those investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within the next 48 hours,” Idris said.
The meeting which began on Monday was adjourned till Tuesday to allow for other “far-reaching” decisions, the information minister had told journalists.

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Panel To Probe Governance In Rivers Underway -Fubara …Swears In Iboroma As New Attorney-General

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his readiness to set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”
Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”
The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“Maybe where they are they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

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