Rivers

Pensioners Verification Exercise: 3 Slump In Rivers

Published

16 years ago

July 3, 2010

Three persons have slumped so far in Rivers State in the on-going National Biometric Pensioners Enrolment exercise taking place at the State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt.

The last of the three, said to be from Emohua Local Government Area, slumped on Tuesday while on queue waiting to be attended to by the team of verifiers, from the office of the Head of Service of the federation.

When The Weekend Tide spoke with some of the pensioners, they were all unanimous in their lamentation of the slow pace of the exercise.

Some of them said they have been at the secretariat with their baggage for days because they live far and so could not afford to come to the secretariat daily.

“Since 21st of this month when the exercise started, we’ve been coming everyday, standing under the sun and the rain with no chairs to sit, and at the end of the day, they don’t attend to us.

“Some of us have started living here for days now without going back to our various homes”, one of them told The Weekend Tide.

When consulted on the cause of the delay the chairman of the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Festus Abibo attributed the delay to inefficiency of the officials of the team of verifiers, particularly, the computer staff, who verify the individual pensioners and record their data.

He explained that the state branch of the pensioners’ body has been rendering necessary assistance to the officials of the verification team, but that the slow pace of the exercise is lamentable.

“The situation is very bad…The thing is that the exercise is very slow because of the inexperienced, amateur computer personnel sent to us from the consultant handling the exercise from Abuja”, he explained.

“For instance”, he continued, “each pensioner is attended to in as much time as one hour, at least. This is why the pensioners are exposed to such trauma”.

The Weekend Tide investigation also revealed that rather than seek means of making things easier for all the pensioners, some of t he officials of the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners assist only their cronies, most of who are not even on the queue for the exercise, smuggling in and out such forms belonging to their cronies.

Further investigation also revealed that the exercise is billed to come to an end on the 5th of July, 2010. Meanwhile, out of an estimated 3,000 pensioners in Rivers State, the number attended to was below 600 as at press time yesterday.

Also, since the exercise commenced, the consultant handling the exercise has not been to the state to ascertain the position of things, according to the pensioner.

Sogbeba Dokubo

Niger Delta

Fubara Charges Graduands On Discipline, Professionalism … As IAUE Holds 44th Convoc

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged graduands of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, to be disciplined and professional wherever they find themselves in the society, as ambassadors of the university and Nigeria.

The Governor, who gave the charge, weekend, during the 44th Convocation ceremony of the university, urged the graduands to use whatever they have studied in the university as a tool for societal advancement.

Fubara, who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Mma Odu, said, “success is not measured only by words or status, but by the positive impact you make in the lives of others.

“Wherever you find yourselves, uphold the values of honesty, humility, professionalism, and service. Let the education you have received here become a tool for peace building, national unity, and societal advancement.”

The Governor further charged the graduands to be good ambassadors as alumni of the IAUE.

“Great universities all over the world get bigger and mightier by the imputes from their graduands. Today, you are great alumni of this university.

“Don’t forget the university, come back. As you increase the quality of the university, your certificates and degrees will also have higher values wherever you present them”, the Governor urged.

He also used the fora to commend staff of the university, both academic and non-academic, for their sacrifices and contributions towards the attainment of the current status of the university.

“Your labours have not been in vain, and they have been well noted. The task of building a world class institution requires commitment, discipline, team work, and visionary leadership.

“I, therefore, urge all of you to continue to work harder with a new dedication to ensure that the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education becomes one of the best universities, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa”, he said.

The state’s Chief Executive, who is the Visitor to the university, continued that as educators and administrators, the staff occupy a strategic position in moulding future generations.

He said their “commitment to quality teaching, impactful research, mentorship, innovation, and character formation remains essential to the success of this great institution.”

He, therefore, encouraged them to “continue to uphold professionalism, promote academic integrity, and foster an environment that supports excellence and creativity”, while assuring the state government’s partnership with the institution.

“The Government of Rivers State remains willing to partner with institutions that are committed to progress, innovation, and human development.

“Together, we will build an educational system that will equip our young people with the skills and knowledge needed to compete globally and contribute meaningfully to national development”, the Governor concluded.

In his address, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, highlighted developments the institution has achieved in about five years of his leadership.

Such developments, which cuts across virtually all facets of the university, include: increase in academic programmes, accreditation and resource verification; increased infrastructural development; human capital development; better staff/students’ welfare; and information and communication technology upgrades.

All of these, he said, were achieved with the support of such interventionist agencies as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

He used the opportunity to urge the State Government to address what he described as the “urgent needs of the university.”

These needs, he said, are: a befitting Senate building; Vice Chancellor’s lodge; a multi-purpose convocation arena; more classrooms and staff offices; accommodation for staff and students; road network at the new development area; power infrastructure, especially at the Ndele Campus of the university; and recruitment of more staff, particularly the non-teaching.

Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 13th Governing Council of the university, Dr. Chinyere Igwe, noted the Council’s achievements since its inauguration.

They include: introduction of stakeholder engagement and holding the first ever meeting of Governing Council with host communities; conduction of facility visits to all three campuses to get first hand information on challenges in order to profer solutions; holding of first ever meetings with Senate, committees of Deans and Directors, all categories of staff and students; strategisation on ways to debunk the negative narratives on the institution’s academic quality in order to correct same; and making deliberate efforts to activate resource mobilisation to safeguard the institution’s autonomy and standards.

Others are: setting up a committee to tackle malfeasance; adoption of measures to enhance the right image for the university; and intensification of efforts to gain international collaboration.

The 44th Convocation, themed, “The Story of Academic and Administrative Progress: The Case of IAUE”, produced a total of 5,325 graduands.

A breakdown of this number shows that the undergraduate level produced 3,510 graduands comprising 13 First Class, 532 Second Class Upper, 2,639 Seconds Class Lower, and 326 Third Class graduates.

The graduate level, which produced 1,815 graduands, comprised 423 Post Graduate Diplomas (PGDs), 774 Masters, and 618 PhDs.

Rivers

Kidney Transplant Patient Alleges Rights Abuse By Police

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

A kidney transplant recipient, Chief Ugochukwu Lucky Ibekwe, has raised alarm over his continued detention by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft and Sundry Energy Crimes in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, despite being granted bail by courts of competent jurisdiction.

This was part of a petition by the ailing detainee, through his counsel, Damian O. Okoro, SAN, in Port Harcourt.

The petition accused the Head of Investigation of the Task Force, CSP Omar John Sini, of subjecting the detainee to prolonged and unlawful incarceration spanning over 65 days.

Ibekwe, who was first arrested on February 14, 2026, in connection with alleged illegal bunkering activities, stated that the offence remains unproven, stressing that his continued detention violates his constitutional right to presumption of innocence as enshrined under Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In the petition, which was addressed to the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the detainee alleged that the investigation process was fraught with malice and deliberate attempts to frustrate his release.

He further claimed that the initial administrative bail conditions imposed by the Task Force were excessively stringent, describing them as punitive and calculated to ensure his indefinite detention rather than guarantee his presence for investigation or prosecution.

According to him, following the harsh bail conditions, his legal team approached the Federal High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division, which granted him bail on liberal terms in line with constitutional provisions.

However, he alleged that upon meeting the bail conditions and securing his release on April 2, 2026, he was immediately re-arrested at the gate of the detention facility by operatives of the same Task Force on fresh allegations of money laundering.

The suspect in the petition lamented that since his re-arrest, he has neither been formally charged to court on the new allegations, nor given the opportunity to defend himself, describing the development as a calculated attempt to perpetuate his detention.

The petitioner disclosed that his lawyers subsequently approached a High Court sitting in Oyigbo, presided over by Justice F.A. Fiberesima, which on April 21, 2026, again granted him bail on what he described as realistic and attainable terms.

The suspect, however, alleged that the Task Force has refused to comply with the subsisting court order, describing the action as a blatant disregard for judicial authority and a threat to constitutional democracy.

The petition, which was also copied to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senate President, accused the police operatives of systemic abuse of power and contempt of court.

The detainee also expressed grave concern over his deteriorating health, noting that he is a kidney transplant patient suffering from acute hypertension, a condition he said has worsened significantly due to the prolonged detention and lack of adequate medical care.

He warned that the continued disobedience to court orders by law enforcement agents undermines the rule of law and could erode public confidence in the justice system.

The petitioner therefore called for his immediate and unconditional release in compliance with the court orders, as well as a thorough disciplinary investigation into the conduct of CSP Omar John Sini.

The suspect, through the lawyers, demanded that the officer be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act for alleged abuse of power and actions capable of bringing the Nigeria Police Force into disrepute.

“We urge authorities to ensure he receives urgent medical attention and insist that he should be formally charged to court if there is any credible evidence against him, rather than being subjected to indefinite detention”, it said.

When contacted, CSP Omar John Sini confirmed receipt of the court orders directing the suspect’s release but stated that he declined to comply with the second order based on legal advice indicating an intention to appeal.

The police officer also alleged that threats to his life purportedly issued by the suspect informed his decision not to enforce the court directive.

The development has sparked concerns among legal observers and rights advocates, who warn that disregard for court orders by enforcement agencies poses serious implications for the rule of law and democratic governance in the country.

King Onunwor

Rivers

Police, Red Cross Strengthen Partnership Against Insecurity In Ikwerre

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Police Force has agreed with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to intensify collaboration aimed at enhancing emergency response and humanitarian service delivery in Ikwerre Local Government Area, amid rising security concerns in the area.

The Area Commander of Isiokpo Area Command, Mr. Ojiaku Felix, disclosed this while receiving a delegation from the Ikwerre Division of the Society during an advocacy visit to his office in Isiokpo.

Felix noted that the role of the Nigerian Red Cross Society in community support and emergency response remains critical, particularly during crises when timely intervention can save lives and provide relief to affected persons.

He described the visit as timely, stressing that the Area Command is currently grappling with a range of security challenges, including alleged herdsmen activities, kidnapping, armed robbery, and cultism.

According to him, addressing these threats requires a multi-stakeholder approach, adding that security agencies alone cannot effectively tackle the complexities of modern security challenges without the support of humanitarian organisations.

He commended the Ikwerre Division of the Nigerian Red Cross Society for its consistent contributions to community development and emergency interventions across the area.

The Area Commander further expressed readiness to build a strong partnership with the Society, particularly in areas where security operations intersect with humanitarian assistance.

Earlier, the Divisional Coordinator of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Ikwerre Division, Apostle Blessing Ukpabi, said the visit was aimed at fostering stronger ties with critical stakeholders in humanitarian service delivery.

Ukpabi noted that the Police remain a key partner in ensuring access to vulnerable communities, especially during emergencies and crisis situations.

She appreciated the warm reception accorded her team, describing it as a demonstration of the Police Command’s commitment to collaborative service.

The Coordinator assured that the Red Cross would continue to work closely with the Police in areas such as first aid training, disaster response, and community-based humanitarian programmes.

She expressed confidence that enhanced synergy between both organisations would not only improve response capacity, but also contribute significantly to peace, safety, and resilience in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Esuuk-Awaji Oyet