Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said one of the greatest achievements of his Administration was the return of schools to their former owners.
Dr. Uduaghan who disclosed this at a valedictory and thanksgiving service for the retiring Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Oleh, Rt. Rev. Jonathan Edewor, said the Bishop was instrumental to achieving the feat.
He explained that there was strong opposition to the initial attempt to return schools to the missions stating that the success was recorded by the report of the Committee for the return of schools chaired by Bishop Edewor.
“I strongly believe that the church should be involved in education. Bishop Edewor has helped us in achieving this success by accepting to chair the Committee. I thank God that the Bishop managed the Committee well, for me this is one of the greatest achievements of my administration.”
The Governor observed that Bishop Edewor identified with the Elders Council of the State, a group that helped to ensure stability in the State as well as getting involved in constructive criticism and fostering development in the State.
He commended the Bishop for his encouragement especially during the period that he faced challenges saying “Bishop Edewor was one of the people that encouraged me when I had challenges, he did not allow me to fall flat.”
Governor Uduaghan wished the Bishop well in his retirement and pleaded with him to always make himself available whenever he is called upon to assist in the governance of the State.
In a sermon at the occasion, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most. Rev. Nicholas Okoh represented by the Archbishop of the Bendel Province, Rt. Rev Friday Imaekhai, commended the Governor for the return of schools to the missions and stated that the church would remain partners in progress with the government.
He observed that the retiring Bishop worked tirelessly in the lord’s vineyard to enhance the growth of the church in the state and country.
Rt. Rev. Imaekhai enumerated some of the achievements of Bishop Edewor to include the building of churches, schools and retirement house for Bishops in the Diocese.
He described the Bishop and his wife Elizabeth as disciplined couple who were honest and dedicated to the service of God and humanity.
The archbishop continued “it is the grace of God that has enabled Bishop Edewor to achieve the success he has recorded so far, we say well done faithful servant of God.”
The thanksgiving service which held at the Cathedral of St. Paul’s, Oleh, was attended by top government officials, religious leaders and notable sons and daughters of Isoko land.
The Enugu State Government has awarded contract worth of over eight hundred and fifty million naira for the electrification of twenty-six communities in parts of eleven local government areas of the state.
The contract which will be financed by the state government and the benefiting local government areas at 60:40 percent ratio,was given by the State Executive Council at its meeting chaired by the State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime.
Briefing the Press at the end of the meeting, the Commissioner for information, Mr. Chuks Ugwuoke said that the project was in keeping with the resolve of the administration of Governor Chime to ensure that all communities in the state have electricity before the end of its tenure.
According to Mr. Ugwoke, the benefiting communities, their council areas and contract sum are Obollo Nkwo in Udenu local government and Eha Alumona (Breme/Agu Uwabor) communities in Nsukka local government at the sum of over thirty three and thirty-five million naira respectively (N33,640,902) and N35,287,512.60).
Others are Ishiagu – Ibawa community in Igbo-Eze South at N26,354,384.40, Ozalla-Uwani and Ozalla Uwenu community in Igbo-Etiti local government at N45,950,214 naira, Amaja/Umuoma community in Igbo-Eze North council area at the sum of N72,890,795.50 and Enugu Akwu/Obune Inyi/Aji-Rija and Nkwerre communities in Oji River lcoalo government are at the sum of N28,951,640.
The Isiogbo Nara community rural electrification project in Nkanu East local government will cost N40,811,706 while that of Oghu community in Udi council areas and Nkpunano Odoro, Isiakpu/Echara, Ogbagu and Amaegbo communities in Nsukka local government area will cost N15,316,802 and N32,839,428.60 under direct labour.
The Commissioner also disclosed that the electricity projects for Egali Amala-Inyi, Enugu Ezike in Igbo Eze North, Umuh-Ndiagu and Idoluugb communities in Isi-Uzo local government and Ugwuafor community in Nkanu West local government will be executed under direct labour at contract sum of N19,418,438.40; N46,339,703 and N22,200,840 respectively.
The sum of over one hundred and two million naira (N102,539,604) was for the execution of electricity at Ezinessi-Ohafia-Odumachara and Ameke autonomous communities of Oduma Aninri council area while the Opi Agu community in Nsukka local government electricity project will cost over thirty-six million naira (N36,536,886).
According to Mr. Ugwu, the electricity projects when completed in addition to those already connected to the national grid would help boost socio-economic activities of small and medium industries and create job in the state.
The Government of Anambra State has viewed with concern, the unwholesome acts of some miscreants in various parts of the State who engage in the negative conduct of obstructing, disturbing, impeding and generally preventing the needed development and improvement on land throughout the State.
Government also notes that the rascalities of these deviant groups, who operate under one name or the other, have had the undesirable effect of disrupting the activities of genuine investors and developers who wish to invest in the State.
We now have a law that takes care of this ugly situation. The law prohibits and makes criminal, certain conducts relating to land, some of which are:
– Any person selling land not belonging to him, to another person.
– Any person selling the same parcel of land to two or more different persons.
– Any person demanding or collecting any fee not approved by law from any person developing or improving an already existing property in the State.
– Any person willfully damaging, destroying, pulling down or removing any beacon or structure on any land belonging to another person.
– Any person harassing, obstructing or assaulting any worker in a construction site with the intent to compel the worker or owner of the land to pay an illegal fee.
The penalties for these offences as provided by the law, range from four to ten years imprisonment or appropriate fine.
Enforcement Committees which will see to the strict implementation of this law are now being set up in all the Local Government Areas of the State.
Let me use this occasion to warn all those who have hitherto involved or engaged themselves in the activities which are now criminalized by the Prohibition of Fraudulent Practices on Land and Property Law, to henceforth desist from or put a stop to such unwholesome acts. Such persons, especially the youths, are advised to find other lawful and productive activities to engage in. It is the desire and determination of this Government to ensure and sustain a conducive and peaceful environment for all those engaged in lawful enterprise in this State.
Finally, the good people of the State will recall that at the early part of this Government, I had cause to proscribe some organizations in the effort to get rid of dangerous and undesirable elements so as to sanitize the State.
Presently, some more groups have emerged with similar negative activities which are inimical to the interest of the State. In this administration’s determination to rid the State of all such undesirable groups and persons who hinder the lawful enterprise of our people, I have today, pursuant to my powers under Section 98(2) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State, 1991, proscribed some organizations or groups whose activities are deemed dangerous to the good government of the State by declaring them as unlawful societies in Anambra State. Those affected are:
(a) Mpiawa-azu group (or by whatever name called);
(b) Igbo Youths Organization (or by whatever name called);
(c) Ogbaru Youths Organization (or by whatever name called); and
(d) All other Local Government Areas Youth Organizations in the State.
The legal implication of this Order is that it is now a criminal offence for any person to belong to, associate with, manage or assist in the management of any of the concerned groups or organizations. All Community based youth organizations must be registered with, supervised by, controlled and subjected to the town union and traditional ruler of that community which must take responsibility for the activities or conducts of their youth organizations. This Government is determined and will continue to strive in its constitutional duty to maintain law and order in Anambra State.
The last Monday’s killing of Governor Dickson’s security aide in Bayelsa has continued to generate reactions as the authorities of the Joint Military Task Force code named Operation Pulo Shield blamed the development on the unlawful possession of fire arms by youths in the state.
It will be recalled that British Egena and Orlando Owodo were last Monday shot dead why they ere driving out of the state Assembly quarters by suspected cultists.
However, the State Government while reacting through the office of the Security Adviser, Col. Bernard Kenebai in a statement condemned the killing and said that the State Government is working closely with the security agencies to unravel the perpetrators of this dastardly act and bring them to book.
The statement also debunked the claims that the killed youths were working as security aide to the State Governor,”the Dickson is deeply sad by this incident and wish to condone with the families of the deceased. We wish to debunk claims and insinuations that the persons killed are security aides of the governor.”
Reacting to the incidence, the Media Coordinator of the Joint Military Task Force, Lt. Col. Oyeama Nwachukwu described the killing as dastardly and very unfortunate,” It is a pointer to the fact that a number of criminals are still unlawfully in possession of fire arms in the state”.
“While the JTF considers this callous act an exhibition of barbarism on the part of the perpetrators and equally sympathizes with the families of the victims, it must be categorically pointed out, that the JTF does not have any of such names as those of the victims working with or for it.”
Similarly, ex-militants under the aegis of Third Phase Federal Amnesty in Niger Delta have expressed worry over the increasing rate and incessant bomb attacks and killings of Christians in parts of the north by an Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
Chairman of the group and ex-militant leader in Bayelsa State, Kaithy Sese, also known as Gen. Noumukeme, lamented that the killings by the Islamic sect was causing security threats to the unity of the nation and if not well checked could lead to a violent war.
Sese who stated this in Yenagoa yesterday urged the Boko Haram members to toe the path of dialogue and exercise restraint in the destruction of lives and property, wondering why the sect members were launching offensive attacks on innocent Nigerians.
His word, “The federal government knows what the Boko Haram members are demanding for. Government should accord the group what they wanted. There is no problem without solution. The Islamic sect should not be coerced by government.”
He renewed the group’s appeal to the federal government on the need to integrate its members into the amnesty programme, since they had embraced amnesty having surrendered their arms to government about two years ago, while pleading with the aggrieved members to set aside their differences in the interest of peace and unity in the organization.
Delta State government has condemned the alleged dethronement of the Obi of Abavo, His Royal Highness Obi Irenume 1 and the subsequent installation of a new king, saying that the development was illegal and unacceptable.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay who announced this while briefing journalists at the end of the State Security Council meeting in Agbor, said the state government totally condemned the act and described it as ultra-vires, obnoxious and of no effect especially as the recognised Obi was still alive.
He said no individual has the right to dethrone an Obi explaining that it was only a competent court of law that has the judicial power to depose a traditional ruler.
“Anybody crowned by the indigenes of a community and given a staff of office by the government is the accepted king. Nobody has the right to remove such a king except through the court of law”, he stated.
He warned those fomenting trouble in Abavo to desist from such un-holy act as the state government was ready to deal decisively with all those creating disorder and insecurity.
Comrade Macaulay said government has deployed security operatives to Abavo to maintain peace and curb the violence in the area.
Speaking further, he disclosed that landlords, family members and relatives of kidnap suspects on the run would henceforth be arrested and held liable until the suspects showed up.
“The Security Council has directed that henceforth landlords, relatives and family members of kidnap suspects and criminals on the run be arrested; this will make them give information to security agencies to aid them in arresting the suspect”, he added.
Macaulay said the Council also ordered the immediate closure of Lucy Guest House a kidnap den in Asaba, explaining that the closure became necessary because it has been confirmed that the Guest House was being used as a hideout for criminals.
His words: “the state Security Council ordered the closure of Lucy Guest House because it has been confirmed by the police that it is been used as a hideout for kidnap suspects and criminals.”
Imo state government has expressed dismay over the recent takeover of
the Local Government Councils by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
under the brutal force of the Nigerian Police Force.
The state government also berated the Federal Attorney General,
Mohammed Adoke for giving what it described as ‘unsolicited advice’ that led to the forceful reinstatement of the PDP Chairmen on a matter
that is still pending in the court.
Addressing Newsmen in Owerri the state capital, the State Commissioner
of Justice and Attorney-General, Barr. Soronnadi Njoku stated that
having expressed dissatisfaction with the Judgment of the Court of
Appeal, the state government immediately filed an appeal against the
said Judgment to the Supreme Court in line with the laid down legal
procedure both in 1999 Constitution and the rules of court which was
served on their Counsel, Livy Uzoukwu SAN on the July 5, 2012.
He explained that in accordance with the Law and Rules of Court, the
state government equally filed a motion on notice for stay of
execution of the Judgment which also was duly served.
The Attorney-General maintained that it is a settled principle of Law
that the Court of Appeal has powers to order a stay of execution,
stating that whenever a motion for stay is pending, all parties must
remain in status-quo until the motion is heard and determined.
He also said “It is trite that before a Judgment is enforced, the
drawn-up order of the court must be served on the other party, and if
he defaults in obeying it, form 48 and 49 are then issued by the
registry and served on him, warning him of the consequences of his
disobedience.”
He averred that hence the motion for stay is still pending and no
drawn up order of court has been served and the necessary forms of
court to enforce the Judgment has not been issued or served, the state
government is not in any breach of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal
even as the advice of the federal Attorney-General does not arise.
“It therefore follows that the advice of the federal Attorney-General
does not arise at all, unless the PDP will, of course, disregard the
due process of Law as it is in their habit. Thus advising the Imo
State Government to obey the court order in the circumstance is more
like playing politics with the law. It is the position of the Imo
State Government that all the parties must allow the Judicial process
to run its full course as the government is prepared,, willing and
ready to abide by whatever order the court makes at the end” he said.
The state government also berated Adoke for not giving rightful advice
to the PDP controlled federal government as the Chief Law officer of
the nation.
“The speed with which the federal Attorney-General gave his
unsolicited advice has been noted except to add that he is yet to
advise his own government to obey the rule of Law in the Justice Ayo
Salami case and he is also not all that fast in following up on the
oil subsidy probe. The federal Attorney-General is no doubt of good
physician of the law who unfortunately has been quite unable to heal
himself when it comes to obeying court orders or following the due
process of the Law.”
“As for the moves by the PDP to use sheer Police brutal force to
enforce the Judgment in a purely civil matter and the readiness and
willingness of the police to render such service, it is necessary to
point out that the procedure for enforcement of a civil Judgment is
contained in a federal and not a state law. The Police have no roles
to play in it at all and till now, the necessary order on consequence
of disobedience has yet been served on us” the Attorney-General
maintained.
He, however urged Adoke and the Inspector-General of Police, the
Commissioner of Police and the leadership of PDP at all levels and all
aggrieved affected persons to read the provisions of the Law, follow
it and as well as be guided by it as Imo state government abides by
the Law.
The youths are the world’s most powerful vehicle for positive change. They are endowed with the physical strength, vigor, innovative ideas departing from established norms and less inclination for quick ill-gotten wealth if properly guided which is the bane of many underdeveloped nations today. Achieving the millennium development goals has never been as cogent as it is currently given the myriad of challenges associated with social and technological advancements and climate change. Aid and Development include the provision of food, shelter, medicine, clothing, education, skill acquisition trainings etc to enable improved productivity and increased lifespan of the people. Also included are the provision of infrastructure, women empowerment, civil and fundamental rights awareness and promotion and cultural preservation in the positive sense. Have many governments around the globe succeeded in delivering all the aforementioned? The answer is no! Have we as a people collectively failed over the course of several centuries in achieving all these? The answer is yes! The reasons for our failures strongly lie in corruption, plain incompetence, armed conflicts, insensitivity, lack of accountability encouraged by an extremely weak supervision and indifference at different tiers of the government to the plight of the suffering people. I have always wondered why any government around the globe would invest its country’s meager resources in procuring arms rather than procuring food for its people. Sadly this ugly situation has been like a recurring decimal in some parts of Africa and Asia where the most vulnerable people live.
My vision on achieving the millennium development goals has its fundamental roots in accountability. Time and time again aids from richer nations are wasted by government officials of the receiving countries in connivance with some disgruntled local charities whose services are engaged on the assumption that they would deliver the provided aids directly to the locals. These aids are squandered and the needed developmental projects poorly executed or not executed at all. Ever been to a community whose landscape is dotted with abandoned infrastructural developments? Such is the case in many local African communities where funds meant for development have been mismanaged. Accountability in my idea should involve holding public officials, contractors, society or faith based charities etc responsible for any ineffective project delivery that occurred through them. There has to be an independent monitoring group that would audit the execution process and the qualification of the appointed delivering agency whether government or private. The monitoring group would be made up of people with proven integrity, with no partisan affiliations to avoid any form of manipulation. In many cases, the wasted aids are meant for communities with low literacy levels and most times the people are not even aware of the amount of aids provided. The monitoring would be the type that would visit such remote locations for direct assessments using an already established set of parameters such as the time frame for project delivery, the impact of the project in the lives of the people, the magnitude of the impact and sustainability. The monitoring activities would be kept confidential to avoid any form of cover up or pretense by erring local agencies and government ministries. If discovered that there has been any form of mismanagement of funds, all responsible parties would be brought to justice and such wasted aids whether tied up in cash or properties as is usually the case would be turned over to the government where appropriate or to the donor agency. This would then be re-channeled back into specific development projects. What if the funds are not recoverable? The responsible persons would be sent to prison for a long time which should be for a minimum of ten years.
Another impediment to effective delivery on millennium development goals is the exclusion of the aids recipients from the planning to the execution stage. There is an ingrained “them” and “us” mentality running deep in different parts of the world where the donors are detached from the recipients by not knowing the exact needs while the recipients see the donors as oppressive for not knowing the exacts needs as well as modalities for project execution. The only issue here is poor communication on both sides. Before any aid or developmental project is executed, I would advocate that the opinions of the representatives of the recipients be sought to enhance project delivery. As the old saying goes “He who wears the shoe knows exactly where it hurts”. It is a waste delivering aid and developmental projects that do not take into consideration the peculiar needs of the target communities. So far aid and developmental projects delivery have been replicated in different parts of the world using the same model developed in another part of the world with an entirely different cultural, religious, social and economic background. The result of this has been outright failure of such projects through rejection by the recipients who treat it as alien and mistrust issues arise between the donors, government and the recipients. Therefore for successful delivery, all foreign aids and developmental projects must be critically studied by experts with the input of the locals for proper domestication where necessary. Much as the world is turning into a global village, cultural and religious concerns still hold an integral value in the lives of the people and so should be treated with utmost respect.
Women empowerment is a critical factor that would impact positively on effective aid and development delivery. In many parts of the developing world, the opinions of women are not yet considered important. Women have been at the lower rung of the decision making bodies in communities thereby leaving the people with less opportunity for growth. Some communities still treat the girl child as a second class citizen; she grows up believing that her opinions do not matter no matter how intelligent she may be. Some communities do not encourage educating female children leaving them in a state of eternal dependency on the male folks. I propose a drastic departure from this imbalance that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our supposedly modern society. The first action to be taken is to criminalize the act of not educating female children. Any parent or guardian caught in this act must face the full wreath of the law. Secondly opportunities in terms of scholarships into areas of expertise dominated by men should be provided to women as well. How can we maximize the full human resources potentials if we rely on one particular gender and consider the other of lesser importance? I am convinced that the wheels of development would run faster in different parts of Africa and Asia only when women are given a chance. On this note grant awarding agencies should encourage communities to have at least thirty percent females on the decision making front.
As earlier mentioned, the greatest asset to effective aid and development initiatives rest on the shoulders of the youths therefore all efforts would be to channel their energies into positive causes. Youth development and education are the foundation for a sustainable society through good governance. Who do the youths admire in a society? Those who sacrificed their all for the betterment of their country or people who looted the common wealth? For this reason an aggressive sensitization is needed to prepare the future leaders of tomorrow. Is this purpose currently being achieved through formal education? Again another no! Many school aged children are still not enrolled in any school in the poorer regions of the world, most of them girls. Every child deserves a chance in life, the purpose of having children is defeated if they would not be given a chance to exercise their diverse talents. I support the idea of making the first twelve years of education entirely free in public schools. The hiring and retention of quality teachers is a pivotal aspect of this goal. Each child is naturally endowed with certain abilities and should be encouraged to pursue them to the end. I am certain that several thorny issues that have defied all forms of scientific explanation could still be resolved given the boundless availability of human resources. School and schooling should be fun and not a nightmare as it is currently in certain parts of the world where kids are still horse whipped for the slightest error. They should be allowed to make mistakes because it is a natural process of learning.
We have continually lost the fight against hunger which is the greatest challenge to learning and development. Some children still turn up in school tired and hungry as a result of poverty at home. Aids keep pouring in from the developed world but still not enough to sustain a starving population with women and children being the worst hit. I propose an aggressive campaign against hunger by encouraging large scale and subsistence farming using high yielding species of food crops and good breed of domestic animals. Farmers would be able to provide for the local communities only if we have the right type of grains that would withstand droughts at least to an extent. Governments must engage the services of competent scientists and engineers to help provide water in places of scarcity through such methods as building aqueducts where possible, sometimes the human migrations occasioned by droughts could have been solved by thoughtful scientific procedures. I support the mandatory free feeding of underprivileged children in schools with the right balanced diet, the children from higher income homes would not be excluded from the school feeding initiative but their parents and guardians would have to pay for it. This way a child from a poor home will catch up developmentally with the rest and be prepared to influence the society positively. Evidence has shown that hungry children rarely do well in school.
Politics of tribe, religious belief, cultural orientation etc are hydra-headed monsters impeding the wheels of achieving the millennium development goals. Until we tear down these barriers we will still not be able to attain our full potentials. A culture of mutual respect for all people should be encouraged amongst all and in particular younger people. We need to transverse across these barriers in order to reach out to the yet unreached. It is a sad development that ethnic wars are still occurring in certain parts of the world today. Some ethnic groups believe that they are superior to the others and some religious groups believe the same and they go about killing innocent people of which women and children are still the worst hit, why? Tolerance is the only key to this problem, it does not matter the God I believe in, what matters is that you and I are interested in building a bridge for our use and for that of our future generations. We should then find a common ground that does not take into consideration our race, tribe, religion, etc as the basis upon which we should relate with one another. As we encourage tolerance we must completely frown at any form of ethnic and religious intolerance such as is still ongoing between Sudan and the new South Sudan and in Jos Nigeria by enacting and enforcing strong criminal justice laws.
Our world is beautiful but can only be made more beautiful with an even delivery of aid and development. The issue of illegal immigration which has claimed the lives of several thousands young people either through hostility in a foreign country, economic hardship and involvement in crimes as a result of improper immigration documents, by trying to cross a desert or sail through an ocean on a raft could be a thing of the past if only the opportunities they seek abroad come nearer home. We must empower our youths today to save lives.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left) receiving the report of judicial inquiry into the Uzere civil disturbances from Hon. Justice Sylvester Ehiwario (rtd) in Government House, Asaba, yesterday.Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left) receiving the report of judicial inquiry into the Uzere civil disturbances from Hon. Justice Sylvester Ehiwario (rtd) in Government House, Asaba, yesterday.Cross section of 40 Hilux vans presented to some security agencies in Delta State by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, at Government House, Asaba, yesterday.Cross section of 40 Hilux vans presented to some security agencies in Delta State by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, at Government House, Asaba, yesterday.Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (middle) Comrade Ovuzorie Macauley, Secretary to Delta State Government (right) and Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, Commissioner for Police, Delta State (left) during the commissioning of 40 Hilux vans presented to some security agencies in the state by the governor, in Government, House, Asaba, yesterday.Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State test driving one of the Hilux vans shortly after commissioning of 40 Hilux vans presented to some security agencies in Delta State by the governor, in the state by the governor, in Government, House, Asaba, yesterday.Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left) and Comrade Babatunde Ogun, National President of PAGANSSAN (right) when the National President visited the governor in Asaba,Thursday.Fom left: Comrade Babatunde Ogun, National President of PEGASSAN, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Comrade Elvis Irefo, Zonal Chairman and Comrade Ajayi Olawale, Zonal Secretary chanting the labour song when the National President and his team visited the governor in Asaba,yesterday.Fom left: Comrade Babatunde Ogun, National President of PENGASSAN, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Comrade Elvis Irefo, Zonal Chairman, Comrade Ajayi Olawale, Assistant General Secretary and Comrade Emmanuel Ojugbana, Zonal Secretary chanting the labour song when the National President and his team visited the governor in Asaba, yesterday.
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has pleaded with the National Assembly to accelerate hearing and passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as the future of the Industry and indeed the country, depended on it.
Dr. Uduaghan, who made the appeal when the National President of PENGASSAN paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba yesterday, said the passage of the bill would help sanitize the petroleum industry and enhance the development of the oil producing areas.
He explained that Delta state government believed in the Bill and would support its passage to help solve the developmental issues in the Niger Delta and ensure lasting peace in the region.
“For us in Delta State, we believe that there must be sanity in the petroleum industry. We have resolved that once the details of the bill are made public, we will look at it and ensure that it is implemented”, he stated.
Governor Uduaghan frowned at the failure of some organisations to remit the tax deducted from their workers as PAYE, to the government explaining that Delta state government would not tax any worker more than what was stipulated in the existing tax regime.
He charged workers to ensure that taxes deducted from their salaries were remitted by management to the coffers of the state government, adding that the state government has directed the board of Internal Revenue to issue receipts and tax clearance certificates to persons whose taxes have been collected.
The Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment in ensuring the protection of workers in the state in order to continuously maintain labour-friendly relationship and have a conducive working environment.
Earlier in his address, the National President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Babatunde Ogun, promised that his Union would continue to partner with Delta State government because of the labour-friendly environment created in the state.
He commended the Governor for ensuring that there was less labour crisis in the state stressing that his administration has done much in the development of the state.
“I thank the Governor for the good working relationship between government, PENGASSAN and sister unions that is why we have fewer crises in labour relations in the state. I want to say that you should continue in your good work and leave a legacy behind,” he said.
He appealed to the Governor and his colleagues in the Niger Delta to help the Union canvass for the speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and its implementation to enhance transparency in governance for the development of the region.
“We surely believe that the governors of the south/south region should look into the issue of PIB Bill. This will help us in the petroleum industry and the development of the region.”
Comrade Ogun, stated that the Union needs the Governor’s support in stamping out contract staff which he said was against the policy of PENGASSAN.
In Abia the governor is popularly known as Ochendo Abia but the way things are moving, 247ureports can authoritatively disclose that all is not well with the God’s own state, this as hell may let loose if care is not taken to avert the current crisis that may be coming on the state as Civil servants in all the councils are now being subjected to hardship.
Accordingly, workers of the 17 local councils in Abia state have called on the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji to release their May and June 2012 salaries to end the hardship which they have been subjected to as a result of the situation. A cross section of workers in Bende and Umuahia North local governments who spoke to 247ureports said that the non payment of their salaries has made life difficult for them, a situation which led workers of the Umuahia Council to stage a protest march yesterday and also barricaded the secretariat chanting solidarity songs.
In chat with our reporter in Umuahia, a staff of the Administration Department at the council who gave his name as Onyii, decried the non payment of salaries to council workers in the state even when workers in state ministries and government parastatals are always paid as at when due.
“The government expects us to come to work and log in to the biometric data system, but we have not been paid salaries for two months now. The month of July is almost ending. We are tired of this system,” she lamented.
Another staff who preferred anonymity said” Why would the salaries of council workers in the state be delayed? Is it that allocations no longer come to the councils? It has become a tradition for us to receive salaries at the end of the new month, but this one has gotten out of hand. They owe us two months now, even as some workers are yet to get their April 2012 salaries due to the biometric system. Is this not an act of wickedness to delay the salaries of workers for no fault of theirs? We don’t even talk of leave allowances and other entitlements of workers.”
While others expressed sadness at what they referred as injustice being meted out to council workers in the state.”Since the salaries are paid from the same federal allocation, what is the reason behind paying workers at the state level and leave out those at the local government areas? We are forced to believe that the government may be in the habit of putting the salaries of council workers in fixed deposit accounts to yield interest for them.
“Our salaries will always be paid in arrears. The April 2012 salaries were paid in the third week of June 2012. We don’t know when workers will get that of May, we are nearing the end of July.”
Reacting to the protests, the Transition Committee Chairman of Umuahia North, Chief Frank Ibe blamed the delay on the harmonization of biometric data capturing system at the councils in the state. He advised workers to be patient and their salaries would soon be paid.
247ureports gathered that the Abia state Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Emma Nwabuko is alleged to be the official used by the Gov.Orji administration to cause delay in the payment of salaries of council workers as he continues to delay cheques, often giving flimsy excuses that the auditors and the Accountant – General for Local Governments have not signed. “This excuses will be the order of the day until they source out funds to replace the one they have used,” a source at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs further alleged.
A source at the state office of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), hinted that the problem of delay in the issuing of cheques for salaries of council workers was deliberately caused by Nwabuko. He further revealed that the suspended Commissioner during the various staff audit exercises conducted across the 17 council last year, alleged that the councils are filled up with workers who do nothing and therefore, does not deserve the salaries they are being paid.
“The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Nwabuko, was the man who is responsible for delay in the payment of our salaries. He usually lament that the council workers do nothing and does deserve their salaries.”
The source added that officials of NULGE in the state are afraid to raise a voice against the situation as most of them have compromised their offices.”They have been bought over by the state government. Those who refused to be compromised are threatened with transfers. This has been the problem as there are no union executives to speak for the workers.
”This is another factor that causes the salaries to be delayed. Governors see the council funds as ‘free money’ which could serve some other purposes. Have you wondered why they insist on using Transition Committees to run the councils? If you are appointed, you will be given some conditions which must be fulfilled or you will be booted out on spurious charges,” a NULGE official who pleaded anonymity stated.
Informed sources insist that the National Assembly should hasten to abolish the joint state/ local government accounts as it had retarded the development of the third tier governments in the country.
Majority of the council workers across the state enjoined Gov. Orji to emulate some of his counterparts who pay their workers’ salaries on the 26th or 27th of the current month.
It will be recalled that workers of the Ikwuano council lat month also staged a protest march at the secretariat at Isiala Oboro over non payment of salaries. A visit to the most of the councils in the state revealed that the secretariats have been deserted as workers stroll in daily to log in to the biometric system and disappear, perhaps to search for other means of livelihood.
