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Workers, Group Hail Wike’s New Pension Law …As Gov Assents To Four Bills

The successful passage and eventual signing into law of a new pension bill in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike, is generating positive reactions by workers and groups in the state.
A senior civil servant in the state, Mr Chidi Amadi, said the new law has rekindled the hope of workers in the state.
According to him: “The past few years have given workers a sleepless night on what would be their fate if they get to retirement period considering the hell of experience by retirees.
“Because of the Contributory Pension Law, which delayed retirees from getting their pension money. This obnoxious law unfortunately denied some late retirees who suffered, and could not get their pension money while alive.
“I commend Governor Wike for signing the new law as it has brought an end to such a sad moment in the history of pension in the state”.
Another worker, George Barine, also expressed gratitude to the law makers and the governor of the state for the actualisation of the new pension law.
He said: “I will be due for retirement next month and all this while I have been imagining how I would retire and loose my pension benefit as a result of the contributory pension scheme that exposes pensioners to such a nightmare.
“Governor Wike has done so well in the state. But the joy of this new law being passed by the state assembly and now accented to by the governor is great. I commend the Governor for this show of concern”.
Reacting in a similar vein, Mrs Gladys Wegbom, another senior civil servant in the state lauded the speed with which the 8th Assembly concluded the bill and the eventual signing into law by the governor.
“In spit the suffering by retirees, the new bill has ushered in a new hope.
“Thank you my governor for bringing to an end the regime of contributory pension scheme which has done so much harm to innocent workers who served the state diligently but were allowed to suffer while some even died without enjoying their rewards”.
Also expressing happiness to the new pension law, Publicity Director of South-South Youth Consultative Enlightenment and Mobilisation Council (SYCEMOC), Comrade Christian Nnodim, said the new era is a source for celebration.
Nnodim said the old pension law was anti- progressive and a landmark setback for workers.
He said: “In all ramifications, the old contributory pension law was poorly initiated and poorly implemented. I give kudos to the governor of Rivers state and the immediate past assembly for changing the ugly narrative”.
Another group, the Niger Delta Youth Coalition (NDYC), hailed the governor for signing the new pension bill into law, saying it would alleviates the hardship being faced by retirees in the state.
The National Coordinator of NDYC, Prince Emmanuel Ogba, stated that it unfortunate that some innocent retirees who served the state died without their pension because of the old law.
“But it is a source of joy that the administration of Wike saw the need to quickly reverse the ugly trend. He has done well.
“However, let the government consider the interest of workers and pay them arrears of promotion which were denied them for past years in the state”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has assented to four key bills passed by the House of Assembly for the good governance of the state.
The bills signed into law by the Rivers State Governor include: Rivers State Multi-Door Courthouse Law (No 2 of 2019), Rivers State Arbitration Law (No 3 of 2019), Rivers State Pension Reform Law (No 4 of 2019) and Rivers State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology Law (No. 5 of 2019).
Wike said that the (No 3 of 2019), Rivers State Pension Reform Law (No 4 of 2019) will help in resolving the challenges generated by the Contributory Pension scheme.
He said that the state government was committed to ensuring that civil servants and pensioners are catered for, with the challenges they faced completely addressed.
The governor said that the Arbitration Law will help in the resolution of several legal conflicts without resorting to litigation.
He, however, explained that he was likely to seek an amendment of the Rivers State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology Law (No. 5 of 2019) because some stakeholders have raised concerns.
The governor commended the Rivers State House of Assembly for their commitment to the development of the state.
“If you are given the privilege to serve, put in your best for the people. These four years given to us, we will do more for our people.
“I urge the House of Assembly to continue to make laws for the development of Rivers State”, he said.
He called on the state House of Assembly to pass more bills during his second term.
In his remarks, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Ikuinyi Ibani congratulated the Rivers State governor on his second term inauguration.
“What you are doing for Rivers State serves as a beacon of hope for the present generation”, he said.
He said the goal of the state Assembly was service to the people of Rivers State.
“In the Assembly, our goal is Service First. That is why you can assent to four Bill’s in one day”.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.