• CSOs express concern over welfare of state civil servants
The Rivers State Elders Council has called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Speaker of the state Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, to put aside their differences and work together in the state’s best interest.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the council’s chairman, Ferdinand Alabraba, congratulated the people of the state on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the state’s political crises and commended the people’s resilience and peaceful disposition throughout the period.
The council urged the governor and Speaker, who they claimed emerged from the same political family, to prioritise the state’s interests above personal considerations, while taking necessary steps in conformity with their constitutional responsibilities.
The statement reads: “Now that the Supreme Court has spoken unequivocally on all the matters, we believe strongly that nothing now stands in the way of Fubara and Amaewhule to work together in the best interest of the state.
“We are, therefore, calling on the governor and the Speaker of the state Assembly, who both emerged from the same political family in the state, to put Rivers State above all other considerations, personal or otherwise, and ensure that all necessary steps are taken in conformity with their constitutional responsibilities.”
MEANWHILE, the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed concern for the welfare of ordinary civil servants in the state following the Supreme Court judgment that mandated the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold the state allocations.
The CSOs lamented that the civil servants would bear the brunt of the decision. Yesterday, the Public Relations Officer of the group, Tuka Loanyie, said that they are deeply troubled by the impacts of the apex court ruling.
He said: “The seizure of funds meant for the state and local councils will have far-reaching consequences, affecting economic growth, social welfare, and infrastructural development. We firmly believe that the heads of government at both state and local levels can address the welfare of civil servants instead of politicians .
“As an organisation, we believe that Rivers State should not suffer fiscal strangulation due to a political dispute. Ultimately, the biggest casualties of this decision are the innocent citizens and their families in the state who depend on these funds for survival.”
He, however, urged security agencies to take swift action against any politician in the state who makes inciting statements that could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
