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Imoke Inaugurates S-South PENCOM Office

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13 years ago

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The Cross River State Government has made known its intention to partner the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to provide additional 2,000 housing units to civil servants.
Governor Liyel Imoke stated this while inaugurating the South-South Zonal office of the National Pension Commission in Calabar which is the first of its kind in the six geo-political zones.
Governor Imoke called on the Commission to use part of its investible funds of over N3.34 trillion to partner state governments as its prime customers to enable them execute infrastructural projects at zero percent interest rate level.
He was of the opinion that this would enable states commence on meaningful infrastructural development and ensure returns are made rather than place it in the hands of individuals or the private sector, adding that the opening of the office in Calabar marks the beginning of better life and better opportunities for pensioners in the south-south zone.
According to him, “this in no doubt would make the states, local governments, workers, retirees, corporate bodies, and other agencies in the south-south to be part of the vanguard of the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme.”
He said the governments and the people of the zone are happy to be identified with the key objectives of the new scheme, adding that ‘the achievements of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the eight years of existence are unparalleled when one considers the fact that for first time in the history of Nigeria our pension scheme was able to generate pool of investible funds of over N3 trillion, which has been invested in various financial institutions”.
The governor suggested the enactment of an appropriate legislation and enlightenment to enable civil servants understand the benefit of the scheme because the pull of pension funds is a potential platform for attaining the transformation agenda of government in the provision of infrastructure, energy, employment generation and the development of the real sector of the economy.
Imoke noted that the scheme is also worthy of commendation as the large number of workers would be entitled to their retirement benefits as and when due while observing that the office would remove the need for people travelling to Abuja on pension matters.
“This will grant them easy access to the services provided by the commission and facilitate various sensitization and public enlightenment on the new pension scheme,” he said.
Acting Director General, National Pension Commission, Mrs. Chinelo Anaho-Amazu, said they thought it expedient to establish Zonal office in all the six geo-political zones as a way of decentralizing their activities and thus bring the administration of pension closer to the government and people.
Anohu-Amazu remarked that it is their expectation that retirees, active workers and other stakeholders will tap the opportunities offered by the Calabar office to lodge their complaints, seek education and demand of sensitization and other awareness programmes, adding that ‘the opening of the south-south zonal office will no doubt create the needed awareness and thus motivate buy-in from stakeholders in the region”.
Goodwill messages were sent in by Chairman Senate Committee on Pension, Senator Aloysius Etuk, Chairman House Committee on Pension represented by Hon Ibrahim Kamba, Chairman Pension Operators Association of Nigeria, Mr. Dave Uduanu and Vice President Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Isa Aremu, among others.

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Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members  In Brass Water

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6 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways
The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and  members of his church were in a programme.
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?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet  to be recovered
as search party are still ongoing.
Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report,  our Correspondent gathered  that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.
The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit
The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s  on the sad accident
By: CHINEDU WOSU
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Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

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6 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Rivers State Council of  Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.
Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt,  recently.
Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.
He noted that  the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.
According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.
He also  informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.
“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.
Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.
The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.
He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.
The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.
He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.
Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.
By: King Onunwor
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FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

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2 weeks ago

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May 13, 2026

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The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.
 Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.
“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.
The minister noted  the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.
According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.
Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.
He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.
He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.
“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.
Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.
“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.
“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.
She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.
Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).
“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.
“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.
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