Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (right), receiving an address from the Chairman of SPAT Limited, Mr Maxwell Anuonye, during the grand breaking of the SPATMART Centre, in Port Harcourt.

The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Rivers State council, rose from its 41st State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in Port Harcourt on Thursday, and condemned the Contributory Pension Scheme, as it is operated in the State, describing it as retrogressive and anti-workers.
To this end, the union called for discontinuation of its deductions from the salaries of civil servants in the State.
The union, which made its position known on the issue among other issues in a communiqué signed by its State Chairman, Comrade O.T. Lilly-West and the Secretary, Comrade Dan Otakpo said the operation of the pension scheme in the state does not guarantee the much-desired legal framework and transparency.
The union further called for the reform of the pension scheme, noting that since pension was a future commitment, reforms remained a constant and inevitable process of development.
For this reason, the NCSU, therefore, urged the state government to assess the implication of the pension reforms with a view to correcting its defects and negative impacts.
The union, while further reviewing the events, activities and programmes of the present administration in the State, in less than 60 days of its life span, tacitly passed a vote of confidence on the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, particularly on the giant development strides recorded so far by his administration in the areas of infrastructural development including the zero potholes initiative and payment of workers’ salaries, allowances and pensions.
It also acknowledged the remarkable progress and improvements recorded by the administration at various fronts, and assured Governor Wike of the union’s support to his government’s commitment to the evolution of a modern Rivers State, where people are the primary object of governance.
The NCSU, however, decried the decline in education and training in the State Civil Service, saying, requisite education and training were necessary tools for creating the needed knowledge, skills and competence.
The union, therefore, called on government to urgently adopt a training package for all categories of civil servants in the state.
It also decried the politicisation of career jobs meant for civil servants which it said was prevalent during the immediate past administration, and urged the state government and the Head of Service to address the anomaly.
It equally criticised the way the National housing Fund (NHF) is operated in the state, adding that it has remained inaccessible both by its statutory mandate and modus operandi, stressing that by its design and structure, it might never be able to benefit most civil servants in the state.
The State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade O.T. Lilly_West, while addressing the SEC had earlier commended Governor Nyesom Wike, and appealed to him to ensure the payment of the 2014 Christmas Bonus to civil servants.
Meanwhile, the unit officers and concerned members of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board branch of the NCSU, have passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of Comrade (Mrs) K.C. West for what they described as gross misconduct on her part.
The aggrieved members, who staged a peaceful protest with placards to the No. 14 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt secretariat of NCSU on Thursday, accused the Comrade (Mrs) K.C. West leadership of financial misappropriation, non-holding of meetings, non-attendance to staff welfare and non-inclusiveness.
In a statement signed by Samuel Nworgu, Ezekiel S. Baekee, Frank Nke, Catherine Uzon, Alex Nwankpa, Nwankwo C.Y. and Emmanuel Egbule, they demanded the dissolution of the Comrade (Mrs) K.C. West leadership and the setting up of a five-man caretaker committee to pilot the affairs of the unit in the interim.
In a swift reaction, the Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade O.T. Lilly-West, acting, on the mandate of the SEC, set up a committee to investigate the allegations levelled against the SUBEB unit boss and report back to the union within three weeks.

Donatus Ebi