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Strike: Rivers NLC Shuts Three Banks For Non-Compliance …As Public Schools Close In Bayelsa
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has shut down three commercial banks in Rivers State over their failure to comply with the two-day warning strike action declared by the congress.
This was as the first day of the warning strike witnessed success in the State with banks and courts closed.
The Rivers State secretariat complex was opened for work, but activities at the state offices were discouraging as few workers turned up for duty.
Commercial banks around Rumuokoro, Aba-road, and Choba areas of Port Harcourt were totally shut down following the directive of the organised labour.
It was gathered that a monitoring team of the NLC in the state had moved around the state to enforce total compliance to the directive.
It was learnt that the team had shut down operations at three new generation banks in the State for failing to comply to the directive.
The Chairman of NLC in Rivers State, Alex Agwanwor, who led the monitoring team, noted that two of the affected banks are on the Olu-Obasanjo Road, while one of the banks is on the Ikwerre Road axis.
He urged workers in the state to remain resolute in keeping to the directive of the national body, adding that it is for the good of the nation.
Agwanwor said: “The strike commenced well in Port Harcourt today. It witnessed total compliance. The courts were shut, based on the directives.
“We were on monitoring today to see the level of compliance. Workers complied. Banks were shut, but about three banks that did not comply, we shut them down on our own. The banks are at Olu Obasanjo and Ikwerre road.
“We urge workers to remain resolute. The strike is just for two days and we will stop, then await directive from the national body.”
Meanwhile, members of the NLC in Bayelsa State, also yesterday stayed away from their places of work in compliance with the two-day nationwide warning strike declared by NLC.
In the early hours of the day, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) workers in the State did not observe the national strike as the TUC had pulled out of the action, but they eventually left their offices for home.
While public schools were shut, it was observed that private schools were in session across Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
There was also partial compliance in the banking sector as some banks opened their gates to customers.
The state NLC leadership had issued a statement announcing that it was embarking on a two-day warning strike beginning from yesterday, in line with the national directive of the congress “to press home its demands to the Federal Government.”
The statement signed by the NLC chairman, Barnabas Simon, and secretary, John Angese, urged all workers to comply by staying in their respective houses on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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
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.