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Rivers Exco Approves 2025-2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework …Ups Payments To Pensioners By N1bn …Gives Nod To Five-Yr Extension Of Service For Teachers
The Rivers State Executive Council has approved the framework for the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to commence the preparation for the 2025 budget of the State.
The State Executive Council gave the approval at its meeting, presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and attended by Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu, and other Council members at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, last Thursday.
This follows the approval of the request by the ministry for the submission of the updated copy of the 2025-2027 Rivers State Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to Council.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Peter Medee, disclosed this while briefing newsmen after the meeting, noting that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, which explains the fiscal and economic outlook of government for the year under consideration, enables government to situate the economy such that the budget will not be over or under budgeted.
He said, “Council, today, graciously approved our request for the submission of the updated copy of the 2025-2027 Rivers State Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The MTEF is a document that explains the fiscal and economic outlook of government for the year under consideration. It takes six years behind and three years ahead. The essence is to project and put some forecast based on which the budget of the following year will be prepared.
“So, today, Council has approved the framework for us to go ahead to prepare the 2025 budget of Rivers State. The essence is that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework takes into consideration the global outlook, the continental outlook, the national outlook, and the state’s specific outlook.”
According to him, “The idea is that when we do this focus, we will be able to situate the economy such that whatever maybe the vicissitudes of the shock or other volatilities that may affect the economy, the projection will be able to make the economy insulated, such that we will not be able to over budget or under budget.
“So, the Medium Term Expenditure Framework that has been presented today has taken into account the shock arising from the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and Russia as well as other internal shocks, just like oil price as well as other daily averages that will be able to affect the economy.
“So, Council, in their wisdom today, has looked at all that, so that we will be able to prepare a budget that Rivers State can be moved from where we are today, where the Governor and the government of Rivers State will be able to provide value for the money, because budget is all about expected income and intended expenditure.
“The income we are expecting, we have been able to look at the outlay of the sources where this income will come, and we have also been able to look at what the needs are, such that the expected expenditure will be situated on the need basis and all that is what this document looked at.
“We have also projected the income that we are expecting from the local governments as well as other sectors. All these are packaged in the envelope, such that by the time we do sectoral distribution of this income, which is going to be the actual budget, then, we will be able to put the State on the path of growth and development.”
Dr. Medee noted that the 2025 budget, which will be bigger than that of 2024, will enable the Governor and government to deliver more democratic dividends to meet the needs of Rivers people.
He added, “One important thing that we have been able to achieve today is that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, has projected such that we are going to have a budget that is going to be expansionary, because the figure we are looking at is greater than the figure for 2024. And because the figure is greater, it means that the delivery from the state government to the people of Rivers State is going to meet a lot of expectations, such that Rivers people will be proud that they have a government that cares for them.”
On his part, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, stated that Council applauded the Governor for approving additional N1billion to the already subsisting N1billion Pension Fund in the State.
Warisenibo Johnson noted that the Governor’s gesture is worth commending as the additional fund will take care of pensioners in the State as part of his welfare package for both the civil servants and the retired senior citizens of the State.
He added, “Council also appreciated His Excellency for a N1billion addition to the Pension Fund. It had always been N1billion, but the Governor, in his usual mannerism, has increased that figure from N1billion to N2billion.
“This is to take care of our pensioners, and that is worth commending His Excellency as part of his welfare package for both the civil servants and the retired civil servants.”
Also speaking, the Rivers State Head of Civil Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, said Council also approved the domestication of the law elongating the number of service years for teachers across the country by extra five years for teachers in Rivers State.
Dr Nweake, however, stated that the approval will only be applicable to professional teachers duly registered with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
“There is this new law elongating the number of service years for teachers across the country. Before now, teachers retire at the attainment of 60 years of age or 35 years of service to Nigeria. But this new law now has elongated the service of teachers by five extra years, so that teachers will now retire at the attainment of 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first.
“So, today, Council has approved this particular domestication of this new service years for teachers in Rivers State. And we are talking about teachers, not administration staff or other staff working in the schools.
“Every person that will benefit from this must be teachers that are professional and registered with Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria. They must be professional teachers, and they must be teachers in the classroom, not people that are working as admin staff. This is a very heartwarming news, and Council has approved it,” he asserted.
He added that implementation of the policy is effective immediately, based in the circular enabling the elongation of the service year for teachers across the country.
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.
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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.