Customs declare war on smugglers

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved a new minimum wage of N85,000 for civil servants under the employ of the Rivers State Government. The decision was reached during a closed-door meeting chaired by the Governor, attended by representatives of organized labour under the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council at the Government House in Port
BREAKING: Rivers State govt approves 85,000 new minimum wage

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved a new minimum wage of N85,000 for civil servants under the employ of the Rivers State Government.

The decision was reached during a closed-door meeting chaired by the Governor, attended by representatives of organized labour under the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday.

After the meeting, the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, speaking on behalf of the government, confirmed the approval of the new minimum wage by Governor Fubara.

According to Nwaeke, the implementation will commence in November 2024.

Regarding potential arrears of the new wage, Nwaeke stated that a technical committee has been established to develop a feasible payment plan addressing the arrears.

Nwaeke said, “He, Gov Fubara has pronounced a figure that is higher than the National Minimum Wage. He pronounced a sum of N85,000.00, which is higher than the minimum wage that was prescribed nationally.

“So, as the Head of Service and a major stakeholder in the labour family, I am very happy to say that the Rivers State Civil Servants have never had it this good since the inception of this State.

“The labour union leaders and all the other major stakeholders were happy with this development,” he added.

“Issues of arrears will be worked out by the committee that I am going to be Deputy to the SSG. We are already going to work on it in a technical committee that will now get the nitty gritty of the payment and inform the press later.”

Rivers State Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Emecheta Chuku, noted that this was their first meeting with Governor Fubara to discuss the new wage, which aligns with the Federal Government’s approved rate. Chuku expressed satisfaction with the N85,000 wage, highlighting it as a gesture of goodwill towards workers.

He said, “For the Governor to come, against all the crisis, against all the things that he is facing and more, to say he will pay N85,000.00 minimum wage, I think our hearts are full of joy.

“Of course, we have no doubt, knowing the kind of person we have as our Governor. He is a decent man; very responsible enough; and grew through the rank and file of the system. He understands what it takes to earn a living salary; he understands the difference between gifting money and paying somebody a salary that can sustain him or her from the first day to the last day of the month.”

Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State Chapter, Comrade Alex Agwanwor, emphasized that Rivers State now surpasses Lagos State with the highest minimum wage for civil servants in Nigeria.

He stressed, “Why do I say that? Lagos State said N85,000.00 and Rivers State is paying N85,000.00. The IGRs of Lagos State and Rivers State are not the same. So, for the Governor to agree to pay the same rate with Lagos, that means we are at the top of it.

“We are the best, and we want to continue to commend the Governor. We assure him that, as far as this State is concerned, labour is going to stand with him. We will be with him even until the next eight years.

“I want to commend His Excellency, Executive Governor of Rivers State, our own Number One Worker in Rivers State, he has, once again, proven that the workers in Rivers State gave him an award on May Day as the Champion of Labour, as the Most Labour-Friendly Governor in Nigeria. He, again, has shown that to us today, and I want to commend him.”

BREAKING: Rivers State govt approves 85,000 new minimum wage

The Kwara State Fire Service saved N17 billion worth of property from fire disasters in the third quarter of 2024, June-September. The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulqoyyum Olododo, disclosed this at the quarterly Ministerial Press briefing of the state government in Ilorin on Wednesday. Speaking through the Director of Civil Engineering of the
Kwara fire service saves N17b property in four months

The Kwara State Fire Service saved N17 billion worth of property from fire disasters in the third quarter of 2024, June-September.

The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulqoyyum Olododo, disclosed this at the quarterly Ministerial Press briefing of the state government in Ilorin on Wednesday.

Speaking through the Director of Civil Engineering of the Ministry of Works, Engr Moshood Akanbi, the commissioner further disclosed that property worth N817 million was lost in fire incidents during the period under review.

About 19,509 defaulters were sanctioned between June and September this year, while 75 road projects were either constructed or rehabilitated during this period.

On her part, the Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mrs. Damilola Adelodun, disclosed that three out of ten projects under the supervision of the ministry have been completed.

These include the garment factory for the production of military uniforms and sportswear, the sugar film industry, and the conversion of gasoline vehicles to gas.

The Commissioner for Environment, Nasifat Buge, announced 18 strategies mapped out by the ministry to keep the state clean and prevent communicable diseases in the environment.

From the Commissioner of the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Dr. Mrs. Mary Arinde, 105 students of Kwara State University, Malete, who were previously denied admission to the Nigerian Law School by the Council on Legal Education in Nigeria due to non-accreditation, have now been absorbed.

Kwara fire service saves N17b property in four months

The Centre for Truth and Justice, CTJ has declared that the recently concluded local government election in Rivers State was an abuse of the country’s democratic principles. DAILY POST recalls that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, on Saturday, October 5, conducted election in all the LGAs of the state. The election took place
Rivers LG polls abuse of democracy – Centre blasts Fubara, declares election illegal

The Centre for Truth and Justice, CTJ has declared that the recently concluded local government election in Rivers State was an abuse of the country’s democratic principles.

DAILY POST recalls that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, on Saturday, October 5, conducted election in all the LGAs of the state.

The election took place amid a judgement by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, declaring that RSIEC failed to follow due process by not publishing the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the date for the election.

In an effort to stop the election, the court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from releasing voters’ register.

It also stopped the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services, DSS, from providing security during the election.

Despite the order, the election was conducted on Saturday with the Action Peoples Party, APP winning chairmanship positions in 22 out of the 23 LGAs of the state.

Reacting, the Executive Director of CTJ, Obinna Francis, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Monday that the election was conducted without “transparency, accountability, or legitimacy.”

He stated that the move by Governor Fubara to conduct the election despite the court order was a “dangerous precedent that threatens the very fabric of our democracy.

“We condemn in totality the charade, mockery, and the total abuse of our democratic process by the purported conduct of local government elections in Rivers State,” Francis said.

“What transpired in Rivers State is a travesty of democracy, an affront to the will of the people, and a direct assault on the rule of law.

“The so-called election that took place is not only an illegal act but also a violation of every democratic principle that this nation stands for,” he said.

Rivers LG polls abuse of democracy – Centre blasts Fubara, declares election illegal