Business

Ministry, Maritime Academy Boycott Public Hearing

Published

9 years ago

October 20, 2017

Facts have emerged why both the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron shun both the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund and House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration Publics hearing.
Both committees had organised a public hearing for a Bill for an Act to establish Maritime University of Nigeria, Okerenko, Delta State and Maritime University, Oron, Akwa Ibom State.
The Senate held their hearing in April this year, while the House of Representatives did theirs last Wednesday. Our investigations reveal that the Ministry of Transport, headed by Hon. Rotimi Amaechi may not be comfortable with the way the National Assembly is going about the Maritime Universities Acts. Moreso, the new acts have stripped all the powers of the ministry and the minister from having any say in the running of the two maritime universities.
For instance in the act for a Bill to establish Maritime University, Oron, the power to appoint the Vice Chancellor is vested on the president without any inputs or recommendation from the Minister.
According to the Act, neither the Ministry nor the Minister is a member of council of the proposed university.
In schedule 6 of the new Act, it states, there shall be a Council for the University consisting of Pro-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, one person from Ministry of Education, one person from NIMASA, four persons from various interest groups drawn from the federation and to be appointed by the President, four person to be appointed by the University Senate, two persons from the school’s congregation, one person from the convocation members and two other persons to be appointed by the School Council.
Also, in the Act, to establish Maritime University of Nigeria, Okerenko, there is no where the Ministry nor the Minister is mentioned in the institution’s council, even Nimasa is not mentioned in the NIMASA Board.
The non inclusion of the Ministry and the Minister of Transports in the two Acts might have warrant the shunning of the Ministry from taking part in the public hearings. And also restraining MAN, Oron officials from doing so.
Infact, our source from the Academy said, The Sarumi Committee who are presently at the Academy were furious when the House of Representatives Committee invitation gets to them, querying why such invitation should be brought to them. No person represents the academy on Wednesday at the public hearing.
At present, enormous power is given to the Ministry and Minister of Transport to superintend and supervised, MAN, Oron. Infact the Minister of Transport is like the Chairman of the school, he makes all recommendations to the President, including appointment of Rector for approval.
This may also be the reason why both the Ministry and NIMASA may not support the school been upgraded into a University, but prefer degree awarding.
What this means is that, the school will remain Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, awarding Degrees, with its core mandates stills intact, but most importantly the Ministry and Minister of Transports retaining their powers.
It is important to note that, while the legislatures are doing their best to pass the two bills into law, if the Minister and his Ministry does not agree with the Acts, it will suffer a natural death at the Executive level.
There are several of such Acts and Bills pass by the National Assembly, which are pending at the Presidency, let’s these ones not fall into that category.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic

Business

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

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.

?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

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

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.