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IFAD: RSG Approves Payment Of Outstanding Counterpart Fund

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14 years ago

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Worried by the recent downsizing of the nine participating local government areas of Rivers State to three by IFAD/FGN/NDDC/Community based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme the Rivers State Government has approved the payment of all the outstanding counterpart funds.

This is with a view to ensuring that all the dropped local government areas come back to participate in the programme.

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Jokotade Adamu, disclosed this on Monday during the Supervision Mission meeting with farmer groups from the three participating local government areas, held at School-To-Land hall, Rumuodamaya.

She said that the impact of IFAD/FGN/CBNRM/NDDC programme has been felt positively in the three participating LGAs; Ikwerre, Bonny and Opobo/Nkoro LGAs, saying that the rural poor income has increased and some have been sent to schools to improve their education.

The Permanent Secretary lamented over the downsizing of the nine participating LGAs of the state to three, which she blamed on the inability of the council chairmen to pay the counterpart funds.

Mrs Adamu suggested that the only way to commit the council chairmen to participate in the IFAD programme is to deduct the counterpart funds at source, promising that a proposal to that effect would be sent to the state Governor for approval.

The supervision mission team leader, Jones Lemchi said, “the project is for development, if there is no visible progress from none access to more development, more education and more projects, then the programme, will be meaningless. But from all indication, we are making progress.”

In his remarks, the Team leader for Rivers, Bayelsa and Imo states, Prof. Joseph Yayok, noted that if the state can meet the requisite criterion of counterpart fund payment the downsized LGAs could be retrieved, saying that the programme is community based and counterpart fund driven, therefore, it is important, the states and LGAs pay up.

In his presentation, the State Project Co-ordinator, Lawrence Robinson, said numerous achievements have been made since the inception of the programme, saying that two community trainings have been conducted, the programme cultivated a 6.2 hectares of improved cassava variety as against 21 hectares targeted and one livestock project achieved.

He further noted that through the agric projects, about 186 jobs have been created, two boreholes sunk in the communities, increase in literacy level, 252 fishing gears distributed to fishermen among other achievements.

The SPC said IFAD/FGN/CBNRM/NDDC is partnering with the centre for sustainable Development, National Research Institute, Umuedike, Rivers State Marketting Company (RIVMACO) to achieve greater result. He posited that the challenge facing the programme is the 2010 and 2011 counterpart fund owed by states which from all indication, will soon be paid.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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