Rivers
Customs Agents Suspend Strike At Onne Port
The Area 2 Branch of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agents has suspended its strike over disagreement with the Customs Service.
The suspension follows an agreement between the association and the Nigerian Custom Service.
Chairman of the association, Mike Ebeatu, said during a meeting that after series of engagements with officials of the Nigerian Custom Service, they decided to call off the strike.
He said the association also gave two weeks to the Customs to implement decisions reached with them.
The chairman explained that members of the association did not embark on strike for the authority to remove or sack any government officials, but to stop the victimisation and oppression as well as the excesses by Customs and security agents within the port.
“Our intention is not that the authority should sack any custom officers but to ensure that some security agents and Customs officers will stop the harassment against our members. It is never part of our plan to remove any body. I want to appeal to the members not to fight any Customs officer but to ensure that you comport yourselves professionally so that people will not see us as touts”.
“Having gotten 70 percent of our demand, we need to end our strike. This is an indication that we have not lost this battle. However, we have done well in our struggle”.
Ebeatu stated that since Customs agents generate billions of naira for Nigeria, there was no need for the Nigerian Customs to impose series of charges and customs duties on them.
The chairman also told members of the association to do the right thing by ensuring that their consignments were properly examined at the examination check point.
“Whether you are right or not, ensure that the examination of your consignment or goods is done at the examination point or check point”.
He described their meeting with the Nigeria Customs as a serious engagement.
He urged the members of the association to remain focused and dedicated to their business assuring that the leadership of the association would continue to defend their interest and inclination.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Technical and Implementation Committee, Chief Ifeanyi Osita said that members of the Technical and Implementation Committee would not only concentrate on their template and terms of reference but would start their work immediately.
“As members of the Technical and Implementation Committee our work starts now. We are going to start here to deliberate on our assignment. In fact, the template we are going to come up with will stop multiple charges from Custom and sister security agents. So, be rest assured that we will work for the overall interest and welfare of the members.” Chief Osita assured.
By: John Bibor
The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, has congratulated the Paramount Ruler of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRM Ohna Sergeant Awuse, on his recent appointment by Rivers State Government as the new Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers.
The immediate past Governor, Nyesom Wike, made the announcement during the last State Honours and Awards held in Government House, recently.
Lloyd on behalf of the government and the people of the local government expressed appreciation to Wike for what he called “a well deserved appointment”.
The council chairman, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Bright Elendu, expressed optimism that the State Traditional Rulers Council under the leadership of Ohna Sergeant Awuse will consolidate on the achievements of the administration of King Dandeson Jaja (Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom) to further strengthen the traditional institution in the State.
He assured Awuse of the support of the government and people of the area, while wishing him a successful tenure.
The statement also appreciated the government of Rivers State for the recognition of four traditional rulers in the local government.
The newly recognised traditional rulers who are all in the Second Class category are Eze (Dr) Wobodo Sunday Jonah, Nye Nwe-Ali Ibaa/Obelle; Ohna Christian Okachineke Elechi, Nye Nwe-Eli Odegu; Eze Damian Azike Ejiohuo, Nye Nwe-Ali Rundele XII, Nogbo II, Eze Christian Amadi Evekwuru, Eze Chigu Rumuekpe.
Lloyd said his administration looks forward to partnering with the traditional institution to foster peace and improve security across the communities in the local government.
By: Theresa Fredrick & Charity Amiso
In response to the need to enhance the professionalism of women journalists in Nigeria through the improvement of skills, the Institute for Media and Society, IMS, has trained another group of broadcast women journalists in digital multimedia storytelling with the funding support of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Project II.
Welcoming the participants to Port Harcourt Rivers State, the Institute for Media and Society, IMS, Programme Manager, Mr Timothy Bamidele, submitted that so far 78 women broadcast journalists have been trained in digital storytelling, since the beginning of the second phase of European Union Support to Democratic Governance.
The Programme Manager highlighted that the training activity is under Component four in the EU-SDGN Project II and aimed at providing support to media in Nigeria.
Mr Bamidele stressed that the action is intended to contribute to strengthening democratic governance in Nigeria through increased engagements and improved capacity of a wide range of media stakeholders in Nigeria, including media professionals, and targeting the following results areas: Professionalism of media practitioners, especially women Enhanced; Strengthened media professional capacity to deal with electoral misinformation/disinformti-on; enhanced media platforms’ ability to diversify, deepen the coverage of the electoral process and delivery of civic and voter education.
The activity will further help to meet the demand for more capacity building and production of professionally, digitally, and inclusively developed content for the electoral process by female broadcast journalists, focusing on post-election issues, Bamidele, submitted.
Two digital trainers, Mr Usifo Omozokpea and Mrs Ehi Ohiani took participants through areas such as reporting the electoral cycle, digital tools for content creation and the digital storytelling process among others.
They urged the participants to take advantage of the new media space to crowdsource, connect, create and distribute content relevant to social discourse for national development.
Broadcast women journalists from nine states including Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti attended the two-day digital capacity training.
The participants thanked IMS and the European Union Support to Democratic Governance for providing the platform, which they described as having a high impact.
The Zonal Director, Christ Embassy, Port Harcourt Zone III, Linder Okocha, has said the aim of the Church’s Royal Banquet Outreach is to bring peace to people of Woji and its environs.
Okocha disclosed this at the Royal Banquet Outreach it organised at the palace of King Leslie Nyebuchi Eke, Eze Gbakagbaka, at Woji in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area recently.
She said the church was out to preach peace among the people, irrespective of their background.
“I am happy that the event is taking place today. I have looked forth for it. It is not an ordinary gathering or meeting, but a spiritual one”, she said.
Suggesting that everyone is a Minister of God, she urged them to use the opportunity and speak blessing to all.
Making allusion to ‘Romans 10 v 9-10, she called on all to always confess the supremacy of God in order to overcome evil.
On plans to sustain the programme, she said it will be given an accelerated attention to enable the church meet its target in the area.
Meanwhile, Eze Leslie Eke has proclaimed Woji and the entire Kingdom as a Christian entity.
He also appreciated the church for their choice of the palace for their programme and assured them of any assistance at the Kingdom’s reach.
Free customised decoders of the church were donated to each community head in Evo Kingdom.
By: King Onunwor