Business

GDI Empowers 500 SMEs In Buguma

Published

9 years ago

October 20, 2017

The Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), has concluded a three-day Massive Grassroots Empowerment Programme of more than 500 residents of Buguma City, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The scheme, sponsored by five stalwarts of the GDI, which lasted from last Saturday to Monday, also gave a total sum of N50million grant to support small and medium scale enterprises development in the area.
While Alabo Thorpe Tariah gave 100 men N100,000 each, Comrade Ibisobebo Wokoma rewarded three residents with car gifts, handed over documents for land property to a resident, distributed building materials, barbing equipment and cash gifts to over 100 persons.
Also, Comrade Telema George provided N100,000 each to 100 enterprising young persons, just as Comrade Asitoa Charles empowered 100 community youth who are already into business ventures to build up their capital and Mrs. Siya Eferebo handed over N100,000 each to 100 young girls and women in the area to enhance their business endeavours.
In a bid to also celebrate their own, the five sponsors of this empowerment exercise extended the largesse to some members of the organisation who went home with different amounts of cash gifts and other incentives.
The exercise which was colourfully flagged-off last Saturday, had in attendance the Vice-Chairman of PDP, Rivers West Senatorial District, Chief Odiari Princewill, who doubles as the leader of GDI in ASALGA.
Other dignitaries who grace the event and add colour to the flag-off event were Hon. Granville Tekenari Wellington, the member representing Asari-Toru Constituency 1 in the Rivers State House of Assembly; Hon. Orolosoma Amachree, former leader of Asari-Toru Legislative Assembly and Alabo Thorpe Tariah, the leader of PDP/GDI in Ward 6, Asari-Toru LGA.
The fifty million naira (N50,000,000) economic empowerment was targeted at providing capital outlay and improving the capital base of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in the local government area was launched in the multi-purpose hall of the Asari-Toru council secretariat.
The empowerment exercise lasted from Saturday till Monday, 16th October, 2017 and recorded a total number of five hundred and fifty (550) beneficiaries.
Thousands of residents took to the streets to express their joy over this benevolent and philanthropic gesture of the pro-Wike group. Kalabari native songs of praise and celebration complimented with traditional dance steps, only seen during very special festivals, were on display to show how thankful and elated the people were of such gesture.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Princewill lauded the GDI stalwarts who thought it necessary to empower the people of the area by encouraging them with start-up capital to venture into small and medium businesses, which is the backbone of every thriving economy.
He charged all supporters and followers of the Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to emulate and imbibe his unparralled passion for grassroots empowerment and movement.
“To show that we are indeed loyal and true supporters of His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, we need to continually replicate the love and burning desire of His Excellency in developing and improving lives of the common people at the grassroots.”
“With what have happened today, we will begin to experience an all turn around in the economy of Asari-Toru LGA, which will in the long run, boost the economic profile of Rivers State; engage the youths thereby curbing criminality and providing employment for our people”, he said.
In the same vein, Hon. Wellington charged the people to keep faith with the Gov. Wike led administration and to judiciously use and invest the capital provided them into a colossal capital base and also encourage them to invest in the LGA to blossom the economic fortunes of the area.
He said: “If God can use men to favour you at such a time when the year is about ending, then there is every reason to steadfastly have faith in God.
“Your support and prayers for the Governor Wike led state government will continually be rewarded. Asari-Toru people’s support for our amiable governor has thus far attracted infrastructural projects, appointment of our sons and daughters into juicy positions of trust and massive youth and women capacity development.
“For those who bankrolled this empowerment exercise, it is my prayer that our good Lord replenish your purses and uplift you in your personal and political lives. You all have once again shown that the people-oriented and empowerment blood of the New Rivers Vision family runs in your veins.”
“With the sustenance of economic empowerment and provision of soft loans to support businesses in our land, Asari-Toru LGA will in no distant time become the economic hub and Dubai of Rivers State.”
Overtime, Asari-Toru LGA has strongly been adjudged as an unwavering support base of the Rivers State governor. The governor’s foot soldiers in the LGA reinstated and re-emphasized this fact by extending and replicating the goodwill of the state governor to their people at the grassroots.”

Business

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

Published

15 hours 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

15 hours 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

6 days 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.