Niger Delta

Delta Commits N16bn To Pension In Seven Years

Published

11 years ago

April 25, 2014

Delta State Government
says it has committed N16 billion under the state’s contributory pension scheme for its workers since 2007.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said this in Asaba while swearing in the Chairmen and Secretaries of the State Bureau for Pension and that of Local Government Pension Bureau.
Uduaghan said that the state government was one of the few states in the Federation that joined the new pension scheme in 2007.
Under the pension scheme, government and worker contribute 7.5 per cent of the workers monthly salary to the pension fund from which the retirees draw as monthly pension after service.
Uduaghan explained that initially, the state government was contributing 16 per cent of its workers’ monthly salaries to the fund, instead of the stipulated 7.5 per cent.
He said that the government thereafter reduced its contribution to 10 per cent.
“I have directed the Account-General of the state and Head of Service to look into this and ensure that we are not contributing too much or too little to the fund,” he said.
The governor said further that the state government had been spending N800 million monthly on pensions, out of which N500 million was arrears under the old pension scheme and N300 million for the new one.
“We have already gone a long way in clearing this backlog and I think we have few months to finish.
“I must commend these officials who have held fort for us since we started this new scheme.
“Pension fund has been characterised by controversies of missing funds and misappropriation; but since we started, we have not had such experience,” he said.
The governor said the administration was working out ways to correct anomalies noted in the differences paid pensioners who retired from the state service and those under the local governments.
“I want to commend Delta pensioners who have been very patient with us and assure them that we will continue to be serious with issues partaining to them,” he added.
He commended the officials sworn in for good performance during their first tenure and urged them to remain committed to their duties.
Mrs Christiana Siakpere and Mrs Patience Ikomi were sworn in as chairmen for the state and local government pension bureau.
Siakpere, on behalf of others, thanked the governor for re-appointing them and pledged not to fail the state in their duties.

L-R: Representative of the Director, Agriculture and Fishery, Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Akeodi Jonathan, Project Coordinator, Cassava Transformation Project, Port Harcourt, Mr Richardson Okechukwu and Professor of Agriculture Economics, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof. Lemchi Jones, at the Niger Delta Community based natural resource management programme in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Niger Delta

Bayelsa Charges Environment Ministry To End Bush Burning

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Government has ordered its Ministry of Environment to take necessary measures to identify and arrest individuals or groups indulging in indiscriminate bush burning in the state.

It also directed its Taskforce on Livestock Management to take proactive steps to checkmate the activities of cattle rearers to prevent the destruction of crops and farms across communities in all the local government areas of the state.

Acting Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directives while presiding over the 146th Session of the State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, quoted him as emphasizing on the dangers of bush burning to the environment, ecosystem and human health.

The statement added that the state’s number two man also warned those perpetrating the act to stop forthwith or face the wrath of the law.

To this end, Atasi added that the Acting State Chief Executive directed the Ministry of Environment to activate the taskforce, with a view to apprehending those found culpable and to ensure they are brought to justice.

On cattle rearers encroaching on farmlands and destroying crops, Senator Ewhrudjakpo noted that the law on anti-grazing was still in force and should be implemented in all ramifications.

He, therefore, directed the taskforce on livestock management in the state to operationalize all machineries to ensure that herders carry out their trade within the limits of the law to avoid unnecessary destruction of lives and property, including crops.

“We want to use this opportunity to alert the public about the danger of bush burning. The hazards are quite known by everybody.

“Nobody should, for the sake of their farms which they want to keep clean and cultivate, jeopardize the health of other citizens. And so, the Ministry of Environment is hereby directed to activate the taskforce on anti-burning.

“The ministry must make sure that all those who are involved in bush burning are discouraged, and where they fail to comply, they should either be brought to justice or justice taken to them.

“In a similar vein, we are aware of the influx of herders into our state. The state taskforce on livestock management is hereby also directed to activate all machineries to ensure that herders don’t come into our state to destroy our farmlands.

“The law on anti-grazing remains in force and should be enforced in all ramifications. So, livestock management committee, both at the state and local government areas, should be activated and make sure that they curtail and contain every unnecessary grazing that is not permitted in our state”, he said.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders Caution Delta Over Propose Mangrove Forest Sale

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has cautioned the Delta State Government over its proposed sale of 258, 000 hectares of mangrove forests, for billions of naira.

According to the Tide’s source, HOMEF stated that carbon trade pollutes the environment, and it is dangerous to human nature.

The Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, who was a Guest Speaker at the Environment outreach magazine public lecture/annual award at Spring Hills Hotel in Asaba, explained that carbon trade is a killer disease which is bound to affect human beings including rivers.

Basse said through Blue Carbon or carbon trade, which is the sale of mangrove forest, people will calculate the carbon in the mangrove, then sell it as carbon credit.

“Delta State is proposing to sell 258, 000 hectares of mangrove forests, one of the biggest in the country to some companies whose intentions we believe is to sell the carbon to oil companies, and when they buy the credit, then they have the right to pollute.

“Carbon credit is set to upset the pollution that is why it is a false solution.

“So, it doesn’t work. We have to do what is right to nature, and not necessarily because of money. Don’t allow carbon trading, don’t allow waters pollution”, Basset stated.

Earlier, Bayelsa-born Noble Akenge, the publisher of Environment Outreach magazine, lamented the negative effects of environmental pollution in the State.

Akenge said the state, being the heart of petroleum activities, had suffered a lot of ecological damages due to oil spills.

The Environmentalist noted that the people’s major preoccupation of fishing and farming have been impacted seriously as most of their farmlands and even rivers and streams have been polluted by oil spills.

“The destruction of the rivers in Delta State represent the phenomena in most Niger Delta States where oil and related activities take place”, he added.

The source reports that Awards were presented to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, among others.

Niger Delta

Eno Recommits To Accountability, Effective Service Delivery

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration will remain committed to ensuring effective leadership, service delivery and be accountable to the people.

He made the remarks at the maiden edition of his administration’s ministerial briefing and end of year review in Uyo on Monday.

He said his administration would remain purely committed to delivering democracy dividends to Akwa Ibom people in line with its campaign promises.

The Governor stated that the ministerial briefing was to enable the administration to present its scorecard in the past 18 months.

According to him, the briefing is an enlarged executive council meeting aimed at presenting government’s scorecard and gaining new ideas.

“The exercise will enable Akwa Ibom people to evaluate and assess our government’s performance so far.

“In the past 18 months, this administration has been accountable, transparent and prudent in managing public funds.

“Release of funds must be tied to ideas and projects that will benefit the generality of Akwa Ibom people”, he said.

Eno stated that his administration is open to constructive criticisms, saying, ”I mean criticisms that will put government on its toes, and not smear campaign and condemnation.

“I must say that we have done well. It is left for critical stakeholders to analyse what we have done. We have tried to keep to the ideals of the ARISE Agenda”.

He said his administration is currently working on three major projects such as the Aviation Village, Ibom Deep Sea Port and Ibom Medical City.

Eno continued that the three major projects were capital intensive, and that his administration had to give priority attention to the airport project following its quick return on investment.

He commended his predecessor for embarking on projects that had strategic investment value.

According to the Commissioner, in 2025, his administration would be holding town hall meeting twice in a month to ensure public inputs to governance.

In his presentation, the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Capt. Iniobong Ekong (Rtd), said the State Government had religiously settled compensations for lands acquired from citizens.

Ekong stated that the government had successfully reclaimed all government lands that were acquired illegally.