The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)  has blamed the delay in the payment of pensions to retirees from July 2025 to date on the recent political crisis in the State.

The union also urged the affected retirees to be patient, assuring that something is being done about it.

The NLC State chairman, Comrade Alex Agwuanwon, disclosed this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt.

He said the delay was not intentional but was caused by the political crisis that engulfed the state, resulting in the declaration of a State of Emergency, last year.

The NLC boss assured that with the resolution of political crisis in the State and the restoration of peace between the executive and legislative arms of government, the issue of payment of pensions to retirees will soon be addressed.

He, therefore, stressed the need for those affected to be patient.

“My appeal to them is that, it is not intentional. The steps are on to address the issues,” he said.

Agwuanwon also told The Tide that the labour movement had earlier  rejected the contributory pension scheme by insisting that civil servants presently in the employment of the government should remain in the old pension scheme.

He said it was against this background that a committee was set up.

According to him, the committee has produced its report which has been submitted to the state government on the issue.

The NLC chairman expressed hope that the report would not only be sent to the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) but also the State House of Assembly with a view to fast-tracking its passage into law.

He said the union made efforts within the period of the State of Emergency to get the scheme amended so that retirees can assess their pension.

“We are not comfortable with the contributory pension scheme, so, asking the civil servants to enroll into the scheme for us is not acceptable. It was totally rejected, so, the old scheme has to run.”

He described the sufferings of retirees, especially during the period of emergency as “a sacrifice we paid for that period.”

“For us, it is very unfortunate, so at that point, there is nothing anybody could have done at this point.

“For us, we made efforts within the period, but the story is that it is a law,” he said.

Giving more insight into the committee’s report, the NLC boss said civil servants, especially those currently in the employment of the state government, will continue to remain in the old scheme.

In his words, “They will continue to run in the current scheme, after retirement they will continue to enjoy their monthly pensions, they will get their gratuities and other benefits, but those that are going to be employed subsequently will be enrolled into the contributory pension scheme,” he said.

He said once the committee report is implemented, those affected will be captured and arrears of their pensions will be paid.

John Bibor

Rivers State Government has distributed materials worth millions of naira to flood victims in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.

This is as the State Government also appealed to residents of the area to maintain good sanitation and ensure their drainages are clean to prevent flooding.

The Deputy Governor of the State, Prof. Ngozi Odu, who is also the Chairman of the 2026 Flood Prevention and Management Committee, gave the charge last Friday while handing over relief materials for flood victims to the Chairman of the council, Hon. Dr. Gift Worlu, at the Local Government Secretariat, Rumuodomaya.

Odu, who was represented by the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. Inyingi Brown, said residents must ensure their gutters are clean and report people who dump waste into drainages, noting that indiscriminate refuse disposal is a major cause of flooding.

“So, let us help one another, we have to police the environment together,” she said.

The deputy governor disclosed that the governor has introduced a new initiative under the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, where every flood victim will be enrolled for free healthcare.

According to her, the Rivers State Government was not only giving relief materials but also taking care of the victims’ personal health.

“In the past few weeks, we had flooding in some communities in Obio/Akpor Local Government. The State Governor is deeply saddened about the incident and because of that, we are here to sympathize and empathize with the local government.

” We are praying that a lasting solution will be found and it will not become a recurring incident.

” On behalf of the Governor, we are here to distribute relief materials to the affected victims.

“Some of the items include for the non-perishable items, we have 200 mattresses, 200 pillows, 100 blankets, 50 bedsheets, 200 towels, 200 plastic buckets, 200 bedroom slippers, 200 creams, 200 soaps, 200 toothbrushes, 200 pieces of toothpaste, 50 packs of washing soap detergent, 200 serving plates, 200 sanitary soaps, and 200 tablespoons.

“For food items, we have 150 bags of 25kg rice, 500 bags of 10kg beans, 30 bags of 25kg salt, 40 gallons of 10 litres palm oil, 14 cartons (196 packets) of seasoning cubes, 5 cartons (300 packets) of groundnut oil, 107 bags of 25kg garri, and 200 cartons of Indomie (40 pieces per carton). These are just some of the items the governor has brought to you.

“I am very happy, you can see the quality of items we brought. It shows that we have a listening governor. Our governor is a listening governor.

“I hope that with these items, the victims of the flood will have a sense of belonging, that the governor of the State is thinking about them.

“We came with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment. Their duty is to check the flood and erosion department, to check the cause of the flood and see if there are measures to prevent future occurrence.

“We are not only presenting palliatives, we are also looking for a long-term solution to the problem of flooding in the State,” she stated.

While receiving the materials, the council chairman, Hon. Gift Worlu, thanked the Rivers State Government for the items.

The Chairman, who was represented by the Vice Chairman of the Council, Hon. Nyeche Joyce Gloria, said Obio/Akpor was severely affected by the flood.

He said the Rivers State Government had visited some LGAs with relief materials and today it was the turn of Obio/Akpor.

He expressed happiness and gratitude on behalf of the flood victims.

“For remembering our people that were affected by the flood, we are happy,” the Chairman said.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Wachukwu Vincent, said the health insurance scheme is an initiative introduced by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to take care of flood victims.

“The health insurance scheme is for everybody, but because of the flood, they are focusing on the affected communities and people impacted by the flood. The registration for the insurance scheme is free of charge,” he stated.

Kiadum Edookor

Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State, has described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a significant intervention that expanded access to higher education for Nigerian students.

This is contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mustapha Muhammad, issued in Kano state, yesterday.

The CPS quoted his principal as saying this at the 2nd and 3rd combined convocation ceremony of Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila.

According to Yusuf, the initiative provides students and their parents with greater opportunities to finance tertiary education and reduce financial barriers that could prevent qualified young Nigerians from pursuing higher education.

“May I also use this opportunity to extend our profound appreciation to the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, for its immense support to the education sector, particularly through the introduction of NELFUND.

“This important initiative provides students and parents with greater opportunities to finance education across Nigerian tertiary institutions and represents a significant step towards expanding access to higher education,” he said.

The governor urged the graduands to translate the knowledge and skills acquired during their academic journey into productive ventures and meaningful contributions to their communities, Kano State and Nigeria at large.

Yusuf also commended the management and staff of Al-Istiqama University for their contributions to the development of higher education in the state by providing young Nigerians with opportunities to pursue tertiary education.

He said investments in education constitute investments in the future, noting that a well-educated and skilled population remained essential to achieving sustainable development, economic growth and social progress.

The governor urged the graduands to uphold discipline, integrity and the values acquired during their academic journey, while using their education to contribute positively to society.

He further encouraged them to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning that would enable them to respond effectively to contemporary challenges and contribute to the development of their communities.