Bayelsa pensioners groan Dangote unveils plan for over N3.5bn gratuity arrears N300bn fertilizer plant in Edo M rleVed EMMA GBEMUOU,
YENAGOA
Africa here in Edo Stale," dve environment to erepensionadding thai the choice of ate jobs here in Edo State. ers in Bayelsa Edo State was to comple"It is a commitment I tate yesterday beground breaking ment the state govern- am reassuring you, Your handed a two-week ult!· cermnony of what ment's effort that has en- Excellen~ that by the malum to the slf'te 80vsbould be Mrlca's sured the transformallon year end. either in De- ernment to settle the largest fertl11zcr manUCacof the state in just about cember or January, next N3.5bllllon arrears owed turing plant \NOrth about held between now and the four years of good gov- year, we will perform the them as pensiOns and gra$2. bUllan (N3OObllllon) end of January next year. ernance under Governor ground break.lng ceremo- tultles; else they wouJd would be held in AgeneDangule said t.I:u!: com. Oshiomhole. ny in Eda State. It will be embarlt on a state-wide bode, Edo State. before the pleUon date of the plant. "Governor Oshlomhole at a cost of $2 billion," protest that would be folexpected to employ more hasdeltvered on roads and Dangote saId, lowed by a court actJon. end of January; 2013. Disdoslng this at a re. than 10, 000 people. has other infrastructure; but "I am reassuring you The pensioners alleged ceptlon organised In Be- been setfor three years. now, he's going to deliver that in the next three yean;, that the admInIstration nin as part of actJvltles Dangote's words: "Yes, on job creation. We will Edo State will be exporting had neglected them by mming the second term we wUl be building the partner with hlm to make fertilizer from here to oth- falling to pay the arrears Inauguration of Gover- biggest fertillzer plant In sure he gives us a condu- er-partsof Afiica" owed them by successive -----------------------~~~~~~~::::~------------------------------------Il~rnmen~lnthes~t~ The retirees, speak1ng under the auspices of state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), said the amount was verified by an eightman committee set up by Governor Serlake Dickson in March this )'ear. State Chairman of NUP. Emmanuel Namatebe, who spoke with journalIsts yesterday In Yenagoa, said the pensioners were disappointed that the governor was yet 10 offset the arrears In spite of his promise to do so, Namatebe regretted thai retired dvU servants In the state last received their gratuities slnce 2006, SEBASTINE ESHUOMHAN BENIN
T
nor Adams Oshiomhole, President of the Dangote Group of Companies. Albajl Aliko Oangote, saJd all necessary arrangements have been concluded for the ceremony that will be
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which he described as very unfortunate. Aooonling to him. all efforts to make Ule state government pay the back-log of arrears of gratuities had fallen into deaf ears. Namatebe appealed to Governor Dickson and President Goodluck Jonathan, to intervene in the matter to enable the pensioners receive their due pensions and gratuities. "The state government should pay Ule NI8, 000 minimum wage increase to pensIoners thai has already been implemented to serving civU servants as o;\'lill as 30 months' salary arrears owed to some primary school retirees in the state and the harmonisation of pensions," he explained_ Continuing he said; "As a body; we are aware LhaJ the backlog of pension's gratuities was inherited by the present administration, but ....-e believe that gOI.-ernment is a continuum_ Since, Governor Seriake Dickson ls on restoration mission, we plead that the governor should look into the plight or the pensioners by dearing the backlog of gratuities piled up over the years as this \\,ould be a credit to hls administration.~
Dickson to revamp infrastructure Focus on security, sanitation, Uduaghan tells LG chairmen destroyed by floodavaUable to the displaced elta State Gover- that a filthy environment toy with these two areas." them to live above board
D
nor, 01:: Emmanuel Oduagban, yesterday Inaugurated caretak-
er committee chairmen to run the affairs of local government CQwlcils In the state untll elections are held next year_ Performing the S'o\.'eBring in termlIlI1y in Asaba. Governor Uduaghan dIrectOO the Commlsskmer for 1'1nance and the state Aocolmtant-General to re1ease all fWlds SlM!d fir 10cal g0vernments to enable the camaker- oommittees perform.
The governor, who said the funds were resenred to serve as a spring board, e.nJolned the chairmen 10 pay auentlon to san1taUon and securlt)t He said there were security challenges at the grass root level, urging the chairmen to tackle and overcome thelD_ Govmlor Uduaghan also stn!SSed the Importance m keeping their environment clean evm as he explained
has the danger 0( exposing reskients to health ha7ards.. His words:: "I want)'Ou to pay special attention to security and sani~tion_ It is difficult for you to make progress In an atmosphere of lnsecurit)! Besides. you need a clean environment to avoid epidemics; therefore. I charge you not to
Amidst ovation, the governor said the revenue accruing to local governments would improve next year as the Governors' Forum and the National Assembly have discussed extensively on how to 1mprove revenue allocaUon to local councils next year. He therefore charged
as his adminJstralion will not tolerate corrupt prac· tices under any guise. The governor also charged the new chairmen to key-In Into the state government's social and ceonomic plans as weU as programmes and strategies to allevlate the dlfficuJUes faced by the poopl~
AS
EMM A GBEMUOU
persons that might be will-
'YENAG()A
log to relocate to their former homes_ He said a good number-of displaced persons had gone back to their COImnunities to start fishing activities. His words:"As we speak, I am made to understand that a good number of them have started moving to their homes. We commend such persons; In fact, there Is even a specific case where we were told that the people are moving back because they want to ensure that the fishes en· trapped in Ule waterlogged areas can be caught now."
devastating (lood that hit Bayelsa State two months ago conllnues to recede. the state government yesterday said It has set aside a supplementary budget to enable II revamp Infrastructure such as ,--~~""::'''''::'----------------------------------------:-::-:-i roads that were affected by
Delta flood camps not yet shut down -SSG
AM OUR UOEMUOE
ASABA
ella State government yesterday said It has not shut down any flood camp In the state as has been reported In some quarters, but saId that any indIvidual who feels like returning home could do so as there was no law preventIngsuch_ Disclosing this yesterday in Asaba, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Comrade Ovuowu·
D
ric Macaulay, appealed to Dood victims in various government designated camps to be patient with government as everything is being done to Inltlgate Ule hardship from the d.isaster. His words: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. given his background as a medtcal doctor and hIs compassionate nature, would not allow the victims to feel neglected In any way; adding that people should ensure that they are registered
In any of the 22 relief camps set up by the state governmenl While urging the victims to dlsregard speculations that Um government was sharing funds to the victims in some camps, the SSG said talks about compensation to victims of a dIsaster was out of the question and unfair to all parties, stressing that government's Interest was to asslst the victims find their feet again and go back to their means of livelihood.
the
"ood in the ,tate Already; dispiaced persons in the varlolLS Dood relJef camps have started relocaUng to Uteir respecUvehomes. - Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Pror. Edmund Alllson-Oguru, dlscJosed this to journaJlsts in Yenagoa while receiving a truck-load of relief materials donated by a
Non-Gavernmental Organisation. Sidon! Foundation. Alllson-Oguru, who is also the Secre~ State Flood Management Committee, said transport ar· rangement would be made -