The Chairman, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission (RSLGSC), Sir Israel N. Amadi, has charged members of the Ad-Hoc Biometric Verification Complaints Committee set up to address issues arising from the just-concluded biometric verification exercise to be prudent and timely in the discharge of their assignment.
Amadi, who gave the charge at the inauguration of the committee in Port Harcourt, weekend, said the committee was constituted to provide an avenue for workers who were not captured during the exercise, and those who felt they were wrongly affected by its outcome, to present their complaints for proper consideration.
He urged the members to approach the assignment with fairness, diligence and objectivity, stressing the need to carefully examine every complaint brought before them. According to him, the committee’s work was particularly important because the biometric verification exercise had generated concerns among some workers, adding that genuine cases should be given proper attention.
The Chairman continued that the Commission expected the committee to complete its assignment within the stipulated period and submit its findings for further consideration.
He disclosed that the 12-member committee will be headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Dr. Mina Jaja, and has one month to complete its assignment.
Other members of the committee are: Dame Tong Awani; Dr. Gwara L. Nuka; Dame Josephine Chukwujwe; Sammy Apiafi; and the Mayor of Port Harcourt City, Hon. Alwell Ihunda.
Others are the President, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Rivers State Council; the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State Council; and the Biometric Verification Consultant, Charles Emini.
The Assistant Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Rivers State, Samuel Epogo, and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, are to serve as observers to the committee, while Warisenibo Ubani I. George, is the Secretary of the committee.
Speaking on behalf of the members, Jaja assured that the committee would justify the confidence reposed in it by being thorough, diligent and objective in handling the complaints before it.

King Onunwor

There are strong indications that the Federal Government has paused the push for resumption of oil prospecting in Ogoniland.
The Tide gathered that the development was the outcome of a meeting held in Abuja last Thursday with stakeholders involved in the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC).
The meeting was presided over by the Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Senator Olaka Nwogu, who appeared to take a coordinating role in the new arrangement.
One of the major developments from the meeting was the reported dissolution of the previous harmonisation ew members. committee and the constitution of a new committee with new members.
To this end, a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU ) is expected to be entered with a number of new changes aimed at addressing some of the Ogoni stakeholders. concerns raised by Ogoni stakeholders.
The new harmonisation team is expected to review and reconcile the various interests and submissions surrounding the Ogoni dialogue process.
It was also disclosed that the names of the 40 Ogoni youths associated with the process, and the names of contractors handling the Confidence Building Projects, will soon be made public.
The disclosure is expected to provide greater clarity on the beneficiaries and contractors rounding the process.

Involved in the projects and address concerns over alleged lack of information surrounding the process.
Another key decision from the Abuja meeting was the commitment to greater access to information for members of the ODC.
Participants were reportedly assured that information concerning the dialogue process would no longer be restricted, with emphasis placed on inclusiveness and broader participation.
Recall that a fortnight ago, the Ogoni socio-cultural group, KAGOTE, organised protests and addressed a press conference over concerns about transparency, inclusiveness and the handling of the process.

Kevin Nengia

The newly inaugurated President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has pledged to build a united, inclusive and bolder Bar capable of responding effectively to the challenges confronting the legal profession.
Badejo-Okusanya made the declaration while delivering her inaugural address shortly after taking the oath of office as the 33rd President of the NBA at the Ceremonial Court of the Rivers State High Court Complex, Port Harcourt, Friday.
The new NBA President, who succeeded Mazi Afam Osigwe, said her administration would belong to every member of the association, irrespective of their political affiliations, branch, age, gender or candidate supported during the recent NBA election.
She said the time had come for members of the Bar to put the divisions associated with the election behind them and work together in the interest of the profession, stressing that the NBA must remain one united Bar.
According to her, her administration would be guided by the principle of putting members first, assuring lawyers that she would not use her position to reward only those who supported her during the election.
Badejo-Okusanya said she did not seek the presidency merely to make history as the first woman to be elected President of the NBA, but to use the opportunity to create meaningful impact and strengthen the legal profession.
She pledged to build on the achievements of the previous administration, while addressing areas that required improvement, saying she would consolidate what was working and introduce reforms where necessary.
The NBA President also promised to improve professional development opportunities for young lawyers, enhance the welfare of members, strengthen the branches and expand the use of technology in the administration of the association.
She expressed concern over the conduct of some lawyers on social media, particularly the use of abusive and offensive language against colleagues, warning that lawyers who engage in conduct capable of bringing the profession into disrepute would face appropriate disciplinary action.
Badejo-Okusanya also disclosed that she had studied the manifestos of the other presidential candidates in the election and would incorporate useful proposals into her administration’s programmes, while giving due credit to their originators.
She urged members of the Bar to hold her administration accountable, stressing that she was not asking lawyers for blind faith, but for the confidence to allow the new leadership work and the courage to demand results from it.
The NBA President said her administration would work towards a Bar where lawyers could earn better, live better and practise better, while calling on members to unite behind the common ideals of justice, rule of law and the advancement of the legal profession.

King Onunwor