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Niger Delta

Retirees Drags Cross River State Government To Industrial Court Over Non-Payment Of Gratuity

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6 years ago

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Top ranking retired civil servants in Cross River State, including permanent secretaries, have allegedly concluded arrangements to drag
the State government and the Accountant General to National Industrial Court in Calabar for refusing to pay them their gratuities since 2014.
Our correspondent gathered that some retirees have not been paid since 2014, the  development which has prompted many of them to be embarking on peaceful protests occasionally to Governor’s office, but protests yielded no result.
It would be recalled that late last year, a twenty-six-year-old man, Mr. Joseph Odey, also staged a one-man protest with a placard, ‘Your Excellency please pay gratuity, my family is distressed,’ He had told newsmen that his late father put in 32 years of faithful service to the state and died as a school principal a few months before he was due for retirement.
On the planned litigation, a retired permanent secretary, who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity, said the court case was the last option since all entreaties and protests have failed, submitting that they were waiting for their legal adviser and solicitor to commence action.

He also alleged that some staff in the Accountant General’s office were demanding gratification of about N200,000 to facilitate payment of gratuities.
But the Accountant General, Joseph Adie, in a chat, described as untrue the allegations that officers in charge of processing documents were asking each retiree to cough out a whooping N200,000 before such papers could be processed.
He said, “well, I want to assure Cross Riverians that nobody have told me that there is demand on pensioners to pay anything before they get paid. My office here is not aware of such demand.
“It is a grievous matter to ask a retirees and pensioners to begin to pay monies for their gratuities or whatever. It is an act of wickedness. In a situation like this, I must confess to you that I am not aware of that type of demand from anywhere, and I will be the last person to be a partaker. As we speak, we have cleared 2013,” he said.

Explaining what could have caused the delay in payment, Adie, a Chartered Accountant, said “the highest allocation that came to the State was N3 billion and that at times, the State would receive as paltry as N1.1 billion and N1 billion respectively”, but added that “even States with highest allocations were also finding it hard to pay as at when due.”
“I am sure you will be surprise that even those States that have the highest allocation owe pensions. Some of them are not even making effort to pay, but we have tried. We are paying, in fact at a point, we were setting aside N200million every month for payment of gratuities.
On why some persons who retired between 2016 and 2017 had gotten their gratuities paid while those in 2015 and 2016 were yet to be paid, the AG said it was an express order from the Governor of the State that  some persons with critical health issues in that batch be paid.
“You know some people have health issues like spinal cord problem. Yes in cases like this, I get my special approval from the governor that such people be paid. They are only two on the line now but if he approves and there are no funds,  we still have to pray but the truth is that such are considered as special cases,” he stressed.
From FRIDAY NWAGBARA, Calabar.
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Niger Delta

Warri Delineation: Ekpemupolo Seeks Peaceful Impasse Resolution

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13 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Dr. Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, has called for calm and a peaceful resolution of the ongoing impasse in the Warri Federal Constituency.
Ekpemupolo, a High Chief in Ijaw land, who made the call in a statement in Warri,  noted that the ongoing impasse arose from the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to complete the delineation of wards in the constituency.
He appealed that the situation must not be allowed to be hijacked or degenerate into violence of any sort.
“I join all well-meaning Nigerians to call for a peaceful resolution. The Ijaw nation has from time immemorial been known for their peaceful ways and we cannot deviate from our history.
“The current political situation arising from the failure of INEC to complete the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency and mass action must not be allowed to be hijacked or degenerate into violence of any sort.
“Therefore, I am calling for calm, no matter the situation. We must all join hands in seeking a peaceful resolution to this impasse”, he said.
Ekpemupolo, who is also the Chairman, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), while urging INEC to do the right thing and restore the peace in Warri and environ, called for an urgent meeting of community leaders to device a way forward.
“We call on the people of Warri (whether Ijaw, Itsekiri or Urhobo) to be calm and wait patiently for INEC to do the right thing”, he said.
He recalled that since on Monday, there had been mass action by peaceful women and youths from the various Ijaw communities in Delta, occupying oil and gas installations in the Escravos and Warri river areas.
He added that the peaceful action had led to calls from various quarters, particularly from well-meaning Nigerians, seeking for a peaceful resolution of the imbroglio.
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Niger Delta

Progress In 21-Km Nembe-Brass Road Project Impresses Diri … As Contractor Pledges December Delivery Date

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13 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed fulfillment with the ongoing construction of the 21km phase one of the Nembe-Brass road projects in the state’s eastern senatorial district.
The Governor described the project as a dream come true for him and the people of Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas.
Senator Diri, who inspected the expansive construction work on Tuesday, said the road, which cuts through the mangrove forest and rivers, was a testament to his administration’s determination to connect hitherto unreachable riverine communities by road despite the difficult terrain.
Led by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, ESV Moses Teibowei, Diri first inspected the asphalted 10km portion of the road with about three bridges, before crossing the river on a barge to see the extent of work on another 10km that had been stabilised.
Diri in astatement by his spokesperson, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, was quoted as noting that it was one thing to have a vision and another to have the will to execute it.
Alabrah also quoted the Governor as saying that the project had been well funded since it commenced and assured that his administration will complete it on the date stated by the contractors.
On the second phase of the project undertaken by the federal government, the State Chief Execution appreciated President Bola Tinubu for awarding the contract and for ensuring that it is running simultaneously with the phase one being done by the state government.
“I feel accomplished. It is one thing to have the vision and another thing to have the will to do it. Being a Bayelsan, the importance of this road cannot be over-emphasised. This is what the people have been yearning for and I’m satisfied that the people are happy about the project.
“On funding, we have never disappointed the contractor and I believe they will not disappoint us. By the time the road is completed, it will reduce cases of sea piracy.
“Let me sieze this opportunity to thank President Bola Tinubu. There was another President when we proposed this road. We wrote, nobody answered us then. But this President did not only answer us, he awarded the contract for the second phase”, Diri said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Teibowei, expressed satisfaction with the level of work so far done, stressing that the most difficult aspect of the job had been done.
He said the fifth bridge being constructed will be completed in three months while assuring that the road will be finished within the stipulated time.
The Setraco Construction Company South-South Area Manager (Bayelsa and Rivers), Mr. Jose Cosme, said phase one of the road will be completed in December 2026.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Niger Delta

NDDC Clears Compensation Hurdle, Accelerates 3.7Km Okrika-Borikiri Bridge Project

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13 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said construction work on the 3.75-kilometre Okrika-Borikiri Road and bridge project in Rivers State will gather momentum following the payment of compensation to affected property owners at the Borikiri axis of the project.
Speaking during an inspection of the project site in Okrika, the NDDC Assistant Director, Utilities, Infrastructure Development and Waterways (UIDW), Martins Isichei, disclosed that compensation issues that had stalled progress on the Borikiri alignment had been resolved.
According to him, the Commission has settled compensation claims for property owners affected by the project corridor and is awaiting the evacuation of residents before commencing demolition of structures within the right of way.
“The NDDC has paid compensation to property owners along the Borikiri alignment, and we are expecting the evacuation of residents there before we commence demolition of structures in the right of way”, he said.
Isichei noted that work on the Okrika section of the project had recorded significant progress despite challenges encountered on the waterways.
He explained that shortly after work resumed, a vessel collided with an existing pile, forcing engineers to redesign part of the bridge structure.
“When we resumed work on the site, a vessel collided with an existing pile. We had to re-profile the bridge and develop a new design to circumvent the damaged pile”, he said.
The NDDC official expressed optimism that the project would ease traffic congestion along the refinery road corridor and significantly reduce travel time between Okrika and Port Harcourt upon completion.
He explained that the project comprises three major bridge structures: the 180-metre Kolabi Bridge at Etche Waterfront, the 1,120-metre Abotoru Bridge, and the 490-metre Okpoka Bridge.
While acknowledging that progress on the Borikiri alignment had lagged because of compensation-related issues, Isichei said construction activities would commence there shortly.
Also speaking, the Project Consultant, Azu Chukwuma, said the scope of the project was reviewed following its revival to align with present realities and engineering requirements.
He noted that efforts were underway to accelerate construction, particularly the launching of bridge beams, despite the high cost of marine logistics associated with the project.
“Our intention is to determine how quickly we can proceed with launching the first sets of beams. The work is mainly on the river, and much of the marine logistics involved is costly. I am in touch with the appropriate officials of the NDDC to determine the best way forward”, Chukwuma stated.
He commended host communities for their cooperation, noting that the absence of major disputes had contributed to the project’s steady progress.
A representative of the construction company, Maroun Kassouf, said fabrication of bridge beams had advanced considerably and that installation would begin soon.
“The project is progressing well. Once people evacuate at the Borikiri end, we will demolish the structures there and move to that site immediately. That end would be much easier, as the river is shallower than the Okrika end”, he said.
The Vice Chairman of the Okrika Community Development Committee, Minengibi Ferdinand, lauded the NDDC for undertaking the project, describing it as a critical infrastructure that would improve connectivity and stimulate economic growth.
He said the road and bridge network would provide an alternative route to Okrika, ease pressure on the East-West Road and open up communities for greater socio-economic development.
“This is a laudable project that will ease traffic on the East-West Road and provide an alternate route to Okrika. We are hopeful that once it is completed, it will attract socio-economic development to our community”, Ferdinand said.
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