Rivers
RSG Explains Deductions In Workers’ Pay
The Rivers State Government has explained that shortfall in the salaries of civil servants last month was due to resumption of deductions of Contributory Pension Scheme, National Housing Fund (NHF) and the implementation of the new tax regime.
The Head of Service, Barrister Samuel T. LongJohn, who said this Monday at the opening ceremony/award of the 2013 Civil Service Week in Port Harcourt, further explained that some civil servants had their salaries deducted because of land purchase transaction.
The Head of Service said that because of the alleged anomalies in the salary payment structure, a salary verification committee was set up to look into the issue and take steps to ensure that the right thing was done.
“The work of the committee which is still on-going, has so far discovered gross irregularities in the application of some of the salary structure.
For instance, he said “in a ministry of 330 staff, over 154 of them earned salaries of over N500,000 whereas only 10 of such staff are entitled to a salary of about N350,000,” he said.
Barrister LongJohn also said that training and retraining will be given a boost both locally and internationally and commended the state governor for setting aside 300 housing units for public servants at the RIVTAFF Gulf Estate under construction.
The chairman of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Sir Ngo Martyns Yellowe described the theme of the celebration “The Public Service And The Age of Open Governance” as apt in view of the current thinking across the country.
Yellowe said that the service is presently being positioned to enhance productivity while efforts are being made to address all matters relating to welfare of civil servants.
The commission chairman commended the Head of Service for his various innovative measures and thanked him for being responsible for the suspension of tenure policy.
Yellowe also disclosed plans by his commission to commence another round of staff promotion exercise and decried the incessant case of age falsification and dereliction of duties among civil servants.
Rivers
100 Days: Omuma Council Boss Lists Achievements
The Chairman of Omuma Local Government Council in Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Promise Reginald, has given his scorecard in the first 100 days of his administration.
Reginald was elected on October 6, 2024 under the platform of All People’s Party (APP) alongside 21 other Council chairmen in the State, with the exclusion of Etche Local Government Council chairman, Dr. Uzodinma Nwafor, who was elected from a different political party.
Given his scorecard at a press briefing held in his Port Harcourt last Thursday, the Omuma Council boss expressed gratitude to Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the Omuma people for the confidence reposed in him.
He listed restoration of 24 hours electricity, belle first welfare empowerment programme, purchase of 28 empowerment vehicles as well as 100 JAMB forms as some of the projects his administration had achieved within the first 100 days in office.
Others were the construction of Eberi Mordern Market, renovation of Eberi Hospital, construction of hospital and rural road in Ward 2 as well as the construction of a secondary school project in Ward 10 as ongoing projects started by his administration that were near completion within three to four months period.
He pointed out with pleasure that Governor
Fubara had taken over the construction of the modern school project and the road construction.
On the human capacity development, the chairman said that his administration introduced an empowerment programme where an Omuma indegene was given one million naira every month to support his or her business.
“On education development, we have constituted a Scholarship Board to award scholarships to 10 best students of Omuma origin from year one to final year, and also we have resolved to award overseas scholarships to three Omuma indigenes to study abroad in science, medicine and engineering related disciplines. We want to leave a legacy that we will be remembered when we leave office”, he stated
According to him, his administration has proposed to establish a modern hotel in the area and also embark on mechanized agriculture to boost the revenue and tourism of the local government area.
He used the opportunity to thank the people of the local government area for their support for the Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and assured that Omuma people would continue to support the present administration in the state.
Akujobi Amadi