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Okah Tasks RSNC Staff On Hard Work
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah has charged staff of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC) to put in their best in efforts to assist the government reposition the corporation, and make it the best newspaper outfit in the country.
Okah gave the charge in an address at an event to mark the 46th anniversary of RSNC,people’s parliament, end of year party and sendforth ceremony for retired staff from 2015 to date, at the premises of the corporation in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
Represented by the Director of Administration in the ministry, Mr Godpower Ordu, the commissioner said that with improved productivity, the corporation would regain its lost glory, and scale-up the circulation of its core product, The Tide, with enhanced visibility and readership.
In his welcome address, General Manager of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of The Tide, Mr. Vincent Ake charged staff to embrace hard-work for handful rewards.
Ake stressed that it was imperative for staff to contribute positively by discharging their duties with humility, devotion and resilience.
The general manager maintained that for any staff to be honoured, such was expected to take a step forward in their place of work, warning that those whose habit was to loiter and idle around the corporation may not be rewarded but may rather be demoted or recommended for sack.
He encouraged staff to always take their jobs seriously by being punctual to work and diligently discharge their assigned responsibilities efficiently.
Ake, who frowned at lateness to work, urged those staff who were not recognized with an award to continue in their quest for higher productivity by making better inputs into the corporation’s scheme of things.
According to him, “When you do better in your units and departments, you deserve nothing but outstanding recognition for a job well done”.
On the award, he stressed that the staff chosen by the committee were nominated based on merit, appealing to those who could not make it this year to redouble their efforts to make the honours’ list next time.
Those who received the award of excellence for the year 2017 in their departments include, Messrs George Awah of Production, John Onyema Wehuje of Finance and Mrs Victoria Karagbara of Editorial Department.
Others are Mr. Baride Nnordam of Business Development and Mrs Cecilia Eke-Amadi of Administration.
Highpoint of the event include presentation of the state of the corporation as well as question and answer session between management and staff.
While giving the toast for long life for the retirees, Director of Publications, Mrs Juliet Njiowhor, thanked them for their meritorious services to the corporation, and advised them not to turn their back on the workers as they would need their wise counsel from time to time to keep the flag flying.
Highpoints of the event were the presentation of awards to five deserving staff as well as memorable gifts to all 26 retired staff of the various departments of the corporation.
Earlier, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), The Tide Chapel, had last Thursday, honoured eight of its members who have meritoriously retired from the service of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC).
The retired staff, who were honoured by the union include Alabo Dagogo Clinton, Chief Sam Nnari, Collins Barasimieye, Rev Soye Young-Itiye, King Osila, Chris Monyanaga, Warisenibo Donald Mike-Jaja and Pastor Ibim Amieyeofori.
Speaking at the sent-forth programme, General Manager of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr. Vincent Ake tasked the retirees to always maintain good working relationship with the corporation and be ready to render their services when called upon.
The general manager, who regretted that the retirees were some of the best hands in the corporation, added that they were retiring when the corporation needed their services most.
Also speaking, Chairman of NUJ, The Tide Chapel, Mr. Felix Okogbule, recounted the reason for the programme, adding that those who worked hard needed to be honoured and rewarded.
He further commended the retirees for their contributions towards the development and successes recorded by the corporation during their service years, adding that the NUJ under his administration has made numerous achievements.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, the former Director of Production, Alabo Dagogo Clinton thanked the union for the honour done them, adding that they would be willing to support the corporation whenever their services are needed.
“The Tide has come a long way, and needs to be sustained. This calls for the re-training of staff, for improved productivity”, he added.
By: Bethel Sam Toby, Christiana Daniel, Huoma Ojum, Lily Silver & Edwin Agbadaru.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.